The complaint Andre Agassi made about tennis which is still a big problem for Carlos Alcaraz 23 years later

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Carlos Alcaraz suffered a dip in form recently, as he failed to impress at both Sunshine Double tournaments.

Heading to Indian Wells as the two-time defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz was stunned by Jack Draper in the semi-finals, 1-6, 6-0, 4-6.

Looking to bounce back in Miami, Alcaraz lost his opening match against David Goffin, falling to a shock defeat against the world number 55.

Alcaraz will now compete in Europe on clay and grass over the coming months as the hectic ATP season continues.

World number three Alcaraz has complained about the tennis schedule in the past, suggesting that it is, in a way, ‘killing’ players.

The Spaniard isn’t the first player to have expressed concerns with the schedule, as one ATP legend shared his thoughts 23 years ago.

Andre Agassi complained about ‘scheduling issues’ after winning the Madrid Open in 2002

America’s Andre Agassi won the Madrid Open in 2002 and was asked after the tournament if there were any issues in the sport he wanted to see resolved.

“I think the game of tennis, in and of itself, is a phenomenal sport that offers a lot to people’s lives for many reasons: it keeps you healthy, you can play it your whole life; it’s competitive; if you’re not so good, you just pick your opponent and you can have a good match, it all depends on who you play,” he said.

“I think the fabric of tennis will always exist as a sport that is acknowledged as a big sport.

“With that being said, I think there are things that can make it a little easier for the public to identify with, understanding tournaments leading up to big tournaments.

“Scheduling issues are probably an important part of it.

“Off-season, give the fans a chance to look forward to something.

“I would say, scheduling issues.”

The gap between the end of one season and the start of another was even shorter in 2002 than it is today, leaving little time for fans to grow excited for another year of tennis.

How did Andre Agassi win the first-ever Madrid Open in 2002?

Nine former and future Grand Slam champions took to the court for the first-ever Madrid Open in 2002 in a stacked field.

• [2] Andre Agassi – Eight time Grand Slam winner
• [3] Marat Safin – 2000 US Open, 2005 Australian Open winner
• [5] Juan Carlos Ferrero- 2003 French Open winner
• [8] Carlos Moya – 1998 French Open winner
• [9] Yevgeny Kafelnikov – 1996 French Open, 1999 Australian Open winner
• [10] Andy Roddick – 2003 US Open winner
• [12] Roger Federer – 20 time Grand slam winner
• [15] Thomas Johansson – 2002 Australian Open winner
• [WC] Gustavo Kuerten – 1997 French Open, 2000 French Open, 2001 French Open winner

It was Agassi who proved to be a cut above the rest, however, storming through to the final with several impressive wins.

Scheduled to take on Czech star Jiri Novak in the final, Agassi was handed the title when the 11th seed withdrew due to injury.

Speaking after the match, Agassi expressed his disappointment in picking up the title without playing the final.

“Well, I think it’s very disappointing for many people, especially Jiri [Novak], because it’s unfortunate that anything like that has to happen,” he said.

“Then you’re disappointed for the tournament. It’s sort of anti-climatic.”

Agassi returned to the Madrid Open just once more in the remainder of his career, losing out to Marat Safin in the 2004 semi-finals.

He remains the sole American champion at the event, a statistic that could well change in 2025 when the likes of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul travel to Spain for the tournament, which begins on April 21.