Carlos Alcaraz won his second title of the season in Monte-Carlo recently but is now set for a spell on the sidelines.
The world number three began his clay-court campaign with a big win, when Alcaraz beat Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Backing up his title with another strong performance, Alcaraz reached the final of the Barcelona Open, coming up short against Holger Rune in straight sets.
During the final in Barcelona, the Spaniard picked up an injury, which saw Alcaraz withdraw from the 2025 Madrid Open.
One ATP Tour legend has now reacted to the news and revealed what Alcaraz said to him at the Laureus Sports Awards recently.
Carlos Alcaraz and Boris Becker joked about asking his team to give him a break recently
Speaking on his Becker Petkovic podcast, former world number one Boris Becker shared his thoughts on Alcaraz’s injury.
“He’s overexerted. He does too much,” said Becker.
“I really hope, whether that’s his coach or his manager, or his father. You have to partially protect Carlos [Alcaraz] from himself, because we need Carlos Alcaraz in ten years.
“He’s the most spectacular player. He gets the most spectators and has the most fans.
“Only, he can’t play every week, and his environment must also see that.”
Becker then shared what he and Alcaraz said to one another at a recent awards ceremony.
“I also had those words with him at the Laureus event and said, This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” he said.
“Then he just smiled, ‘Tell them that!’
“Then I said, I’ll do that if I can.
“Because, of course, I was also in a [similar] phase when I was 21 and 22.”
Comparing Carlos Alcaraz and Boris Becker at 21-years-old
At Wimbledon in 1985, Becker became the youngest men’s Grand Slam winner in history, lifting the title as a 17-year-old.
He went on to enjoy further success as a teenager, just as Alcaraz did, but how do the pair compare at the same age?
Carlos Alcaraz’s career achievements before turning 22
- Grand Slam titles – 4 (2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon, 2024 French Open, 2024 Wimbledon)
- Masters 1000 titles – 6
- ATP titles – 18
- ATP Finals titles – 0
- Weeks at number 1 – 36
Boris Becker’s career achievements before turning 22
- Grand Slam titles – 4 (1985 Wimbledon, 1986 Wimbledon, 1989 Wimbledon, 1989 US Open)
- Masters 1000 titles – 8
- ATP titles – 24
- ATP Finals titles – 1 (1988 Tennis Masters Cup)
- Weeks at number one – 0
Very little separates the pair, having both won four Major titles before turning 22.
Becker had won more ‘big’ titles at Alcaraz’s age, winning two more Masters series events and picking up the first of his three ATP Finals titles.
On the other hand, Alcaraz has spent 36 weeks ranked number one in the world, whereas Becker didn’t ascend to the top spot in the rankings until he was 23.
Becker went on to win a further two Grand Slam titles after his 22nd birthday, securing his sixth and final Major at the Australian Open in 1996.
The German legend beat America’s Michael Chang in four sets, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, to win the title in Melbourne.
The Australian Open title is all that stands between Alcaraz and the Career Grand Slam, following his victories in London, Paris and New York over the past three years.
In both 2024 and 2025, Alcaraz fell at the quarterfinal stage down under, something he’ll no doubt look to improve upon next year.
The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 12.
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