Carlos Alcaraz has endured a packed schedule this year, having featured at 15 tour-level events so far, with the ATP Finals still to come.
The Spaniard appeared at all four Grand Slams, six of the nine Masters 1000 competitions, and five ATP 500 events.
Additionally, Alcaraz played at the Laver Cup, the Six Kings Slam, and is set to play at the Davis Cup Finals in November, as well as an exhibition event in Miami during December.
The ATP Tour has received heavy criticism in recent weeks for its full-on calendar, which stars such as Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz think is contributing to the recent flurry of injuries.
Ahead of 2026, tennis legend Jim Courier has told Alcaraz how to plan his next season to avoid burnout and possible long-term injury setbacks.
Jim Courier tells Carlos Alcaraz how to plan his 2026 ATP season
Speaking on Tennis Channel, Courier noted the tournaments Alcaraz had played at during his 2025 campaign, and picked six he thinks the world number one should skip next year.
“Here’s what I think he should remove from this,” said the American. “The goal here is simply this: Get three-week breaks a few times during the calendar where you can recover from the jet lag and you can rebuild and rest.
“So, where do we start? After the Australian Open, Rotterdam. I’m sorry, Richard Krajicek, the tournament director. That’s gone.”
Alcaraz emerged victorious this year in Rotterdam, which marked one of the five ATP 500 events he appeared at.
Courier continued: “We’ll pick it up in Doha. We’ll run strong through the sunshine double, Indian Wells, Miami. But guess what, Monte-Carlo, you’re out. Barcelona, that’s gonna be a harder one for him to say no to because it’s in Spain.
“But if he wants three weeks to really build his body and be fresh for the grind that starts from Madrid through Wimbledon, I think Monte-Carlo has to go, and Barcelona should go.”
Alcaraz enjoyed an incredible run of form from Monte-Carlo through Wimbledon in 2025, reaching the final of each event he entered.
- Monte-Carlo: Champion
- Barcelona: Runner-up
- Madrid Open: Withdrew
- Italian Open: Champion
- Roland Garros: Champion
- Queen’s: Champion
- Wimbledon: Runner-up
“After Wimbledon, I’m sorry, Canada, you’ve got to go as well,” said Courier. “He skipped Canada this year, and that was the only three-week break he will have had in his calendar in 2025.
“You run hard through Cincinnati and the US Open, and I’m sorry, Davis Cup and Laver Cup, the two consecutive weeks after the US Open, unless you’re feeling fresh, something’s got to give, and I think both of those really should be the first things on your list to get rid of.
“Then you make your run to Asia. You play Tokyo or you play Beijing. You pick up Shanghai. You come back, do you wanna play the Six Kings after that? That’s fine, that’s an exhibition that doesn’t really cost you much emotional energy.
“Then you pick up the Paris Masters, the ATP finals, and then you play for Spain at the Davis Cup. And then you get five weeks off. Then you shut it down.”
Jim Courier explains how much money Carlos Alcaraz could lose
If Alcaraz were to take on Courier’s preferred schedule for him next year, the 22-year-old would lose out on a big chunk of bonus pool earnings.
Courier explained: “So what does he lose from a financial standpoint? Well, he’s gonna miss one of the Master’s required events. He’s supposed to play eight. He’s gonna only play seven. That’s gonna cost him 25% of his bonus. That’s probably a million dollars.
“He’s going to play three out of his required five 500-level events. That’ll cost him another 600 grand if he finishes in the bonus money like you did this year.
“But what he’s gonna win is extra years on the back of his career and a chance at history, and that matters a lot more when he’s already worth $100 million in climbing.”
Alcaraz is on track to match the Grand Slam tallies of the all-time greats, but will need to be careful with his scheduling if he is to match the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
