It wasn’t to be for Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, as he suffered his first Grand Slam final defeat.
Taking to Centre Court on Sunday, many expected Alcaraz to pick up his third consecutive Wimbledon title.
Standing between the Spaniard and the ‘three-peat’ was his greatest rival, Jannik Sinner, whom Alcaraz had beaten in each of their previous five matches.
The latest of which was the 2025 French Open final, where Alcaraz defeated Sinner in a five-set classic, saving several Championship points.
Unable to secure his sixth-straight win, Alcaraz lost to Sinner 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6, as the world number one clinched his maiden Wimbledon crown.
In the aftermath of the Spaniard’s defeat, a two-time Grand Slam finalist has warned Alcaraz’s team what they must not let him do now.
Alex Corretja warns Carlos Alcaraz not to play the Canadian Open after Wimbledon defeat
Appearing on ‘Carrusel Deportivo’ 1998 and 2001 French Open finalist, Alex Corretja suggested a schedule change could be in order for Alcaraz.
“I never interfere in the schedule my great friend Juan Carlos Ferrero decides with Carlos Alcaraz, but I just hope he doesn’t go to Toronto,” he said.
“I say this with all the affection and respect for the Canadian tournament. But I think Alcaraz would need to recover from all these efforts now.”
Corretja insisted that he would have made the same suggestion regardless of the result in Sunday’s final.
“We’re not talking about whether he won the Wimbledon final or lost it,” he said.
“We’re talking about the fact that he’s been in London for a month, that he won Queens… All of that takes its toll, and the surface changes, press conferences, doping controls, now a hotel, then a plane…
“All of this is very tiring. I think Carlos Alcaraz needs a bit of rest right now, so that in the second half of the season, when he sometimes loses some steam, he doesn’t really end up feeling so weak for the rest of the season.”
The Spaniard pleaded with Juan Carlos Ferrero and the rest of the team to convince Alcaraz to skip the Canadian Open, but remained confident in their decision-making skills.
“They should seriously consider what they have to do, and whatever they decide will be fine because they are the team,” said Corretja.
“But from the outside, I think, please don’t let him go.”
Corretja doesn’t believe Alcaraz should head over to the ‘Great White North’ next, but how have Wimbledon finalists performed at the Canadian Open in recent years?
Wimbledon finalist’s record at the Canadian Open
When Wimbledon finishes, players head to North America for a sequence of hard-court tournaments leading up to the US Open.
Sinner and Alcaraz, the two 2025 Wimbledon finalists, are currently scheduled to return to action at the first ‘big’ tournament in North America, the Canadian Open, but how have Wimbledon finalists fared at the tournament over the past ten years?
| Wimbledon winner | Canadian Open performance | Wimbledon runner-up | Canadian Open performance |
| 2024 – Carlos Alcaraz | Did not play | 2024 – Novak Djokovic | Did not play |
| 2023 – Carlos Alcaraz | Lost in QF | 2023 – Novak Djokovic | Did not play |
| 2022 – Novak Djokovic | Did not play | 2022 – Nick Kyrgios | Lost in QF |
| 2021 – Novak Djokovic | Did not play | 2021 – Matteo Berrettini | Did not play |
| 2019 – Novak Djokovic | Did not play | 2019 – Roger Federer | Did not play |
| 2018 – Novak Djokovic | Lost in 3R | 2018 – Kevin Anderson | Lost in SF |
| 2017 – Roger Federer | Lost in F | 2017 – Marin Cilic | Did not play |
| 2016 – Andy Murray | Did not play | 2016 – Milos Raonic | Lost in SF |
| 2015 – Novak Djokovic | Lost in F | 2015 – Roger Federer | Did not play |
No Wimbledon finalist of the past ten years has returned to win the Canadian Open, as the majority decide, as Corretja is suggesting, to skip the tournament.
- Finalists – 2
- Semifinalists – 2
- Quarterfinalists – 2
- Third round – 1
- Did not play – 11
Only time will tell if Alcaraz will listen to Corretja’s advice and decide against travelling to Canada or if he will attempt to buck the trend and win his first title in Toronto.
The 2025 Canadian Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 28.
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