Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, stressed that an intense competition schedule makes it harder for players to stay motivated throughout the year and increases the risk of injury. “There will probably be more mandatory tournaments in the next few years and that would probably ‘kill’ us in some way,” the Spaniard said.
This year, Alcaraz has already played in 50 singles matches, winning 41 of them. “It’s difficult because sometimes I didn’t feel motivated to make a bigger effort. The schedule is so tight that I simply didn’t feel like going out on the court… I don’t have as many days off as I would like, it has a negative impact on my approach to the sport,” he admitted.
Laver Cup and a tight schedule
Alcaraz is currently competing in the Laver Cup, a tournament he has said he has felt he didn’t want to compete in. “I know I’d rather stay home with my family and friends,” he said. In the Berlin tournament, the Rest of the World team is leading Team Europe 8-4 after two days, with Alcaraz beating American Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-4. The tournament will conclude on Sunday.
Iga Świątek also criticizes the calendar
Iga Świątek mentioned the tight and overloaded schedule several times earlier. The world ranking leader said, among others, during the US Open: “What’s happening is crazy. The schedule is really tight. I talked about it in Cincinnati and people told me that I shouldn’t play in so many tournaments. The reality is that we have a lot of mandatory starts. We have to be there. We don’t have time to improve, to think. We go from one tournament to another.”
