The lives of tennis professionals are constantly evolving. The amount of media coverage and exposure in the current era differs from two decades ago. As of now, many young players have been working around the clock on tour. Players like Carlos Alcaraz have been giving it all while playing every match. The idea of working so hard in the teenage years has mixed reactions.
Certain people believe it’s the only way to succeed, while others believe it hampers their future. John McEnroe believes teenagers should explore other sports. He said, “Not everyone’s Carlos Alcaraz, he’s one in a billion. He’s just a freak. He’s an incredible player, but most kids have no business doing that.” McEnroe went on to say that youngsters need to live their college lives before pursuing a career.
The former world No. 1 mentioned that players start playing early without discipline. They peak much later in life and cannot handle the pressure of the tour. McEnroe described Alcaraz as an exception who has been highly mature in handling the defeats on tour. But his style of play has often been described as dangerous, as injuries might come in early and affect his career.
Carlos Alcaraz looks for recovery to bounce back in rankings
Since winning the Wimbledon title in June, Alcaraz has not been in his best form. The Spaniard has only reached one final in the past six events he has played in. At the Paris Masters, he lost his opening match to Roman Safiullin in straight sets. Before reaching Paris, Alcaraz had lost in the fourth round in Shanghai to Grigor Dimitrov.
The 20-year-old’s performance has only decreased in the past two months. There is now a difference of 1490 points in rankings between Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz. Djokovic has gained over 1000 points after winning the Paris Masters for the seventh time. Alcaraz has to take the title in Turin to stand a chance to uproot the Serbian from the top spot.
Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!
📸 @atptour pic.twitter.com/bEGEmOKfkV
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) November 1, 2023
The groups for the Nitto ATP Finals will be revealed on November 9. Alcaraz is making his debut at the event and will be up against the in-form Djokovic. The world No. 1 is the favorite to take a record-breaking seventh title at the season-ending championships. The next few days will decide who sits on top for the rest of the season on the ATP tour.