Carlos Alcaraz didn’t mince his words as he blasted the ATP Tour over their scheduling demands on players.
It was a truly magnificent Carlos Alcaraz display to down Ben Shelton’s hopes of an upset.
Dealing the American his first Laver Cup defeat, the 20-year-old Spaniard exhibited his large array of skills, as he swapped between blistering pace and delicate touch.
Shelton himself was quick to praise Alcaraz, admitting that his opponent was simply levels above him and unfortunately confirmed to the American he still had a way to go.
Despite the unwavering grin throughout the two sets, Alcaraz took a more serious tone in his press conference after the match, adding his input to an already contentious debate.
Carlos Alcaraz unloads on the ATP saying ‘they are going to kill us’
A jovial, vibrant presence on the ATP Tour, Alcaraz’s tonal shift when asked about the scheduling woes players are experiencing was stark.
Alcaraz is currently playing his 14th tournament of the year at the Laver Cup, after having claimed two Grand Slams this year, while he also earned a silver medal at the Olympics in Paris this summer.
Likely informed by his early US Open defeat to Botic van de Zanschulp, Alcaraz made no attempt to conceal his feelings.
As reported by Punto de break, he said: “It has been a tough season, I have played fewer tournaments than other players, but many matches. I have experienced new things like being injured and coming back to the circuit afterwards.
“The seasons become long physically and mentally, and these tournaments help me feel like myself on the court again. There are few commitments left until the end of the year, but I am very eager to gradually feel better,” the four-time major winner said.
Alcaraz however pulled few punches when referring to the tennis calendar: “Many believe that this is a good calendar, but others think there are too many mandatory tournaments and there will probably be years with even more.
“In a way, they are killing us,” Alcaraz said. “Right now there are many players injured due to the calendar and other factors, but at some point, there will be players who will have to skip tournaments because they have to take care of their bodies, families, and other aspects of life besides tennis.”
Carlos Alcaraz joins Iga Swiatek in concerns over player welfare
With the Laver Cup an optional event, you could quite reasonably suggest that if scheduling really was an issue, Alcaraz should’ve just skipped it.
However, the Spaniard is picking up on a pertinent point – one that world number one Iga Swiatek has also made.
Swiatek withdrew from the Beijing Open on Friday, yet has been consistent in her concern over the WTA’s demands.
During the Cincinnati Open, Swiatek said ‘people were going to hate her’ after she dubbed the tour’s increasing number of tournaments as dangerous for players.
Ann broadly, she and Alcaraz are right. Alcaraz has played 50 singles matches in 2024 before the Laver Cup, losing just nine, with many players having higher tallies.
While the Olympic period was a unique feature of 2024, the lack of foresight to schedule tournaments with this in mind remains a controversial issue.
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