Carlos Alcaraz has doubled down on his remarks about the current Tour calendar by telling reporters at the China Open that there are ‘a lot of players’ who agree with him.
The four-time Grand Slam champion said during the Laver Cup that the season schedule is ‘going to kill us (players)‘ in some way. Currently, the tennis season starts in January with the last tournament ending in November, leaving players with just four weeks in the off-season which is when many of them also participate in exhibition events.
Alcaraz returns to action this week in Beijing where he is the second seed behind Jannik Sinner. Speaking about the topic once again, the Spaniard believes many others on the Tour have the same view as him.
“I’ve seen and I’ve heard a lot of players complain about the schedule, about the calendar as well,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
However, world No.1 Sinner has a somewhat contrasting opinion on the matter. The Italian argues that players have a choice when playing most tournaments and suggests careful planning is the best way to minimize burnout. However, some events on the Tour are mandatory.
“it’s about different feelings in every person,” Alcaraz said in response to Sinner’s comments.
“So I’m talking about myself, that the schedule, it’s been so tight since the first week of January till the last week of November.
“We have to talk about it ourselves and we have to do something about it.”
The 21-year-old has already secured his place in the season-ending ATP Finals which will take place in Milan between November 10-17. However, he has also been named in the Spanish Davis Cup team for the Final 8 event in Malaga which will take place later that month.
Also included in the squad is Rafael Nadal who hasn’t played a competitive match since the Paris Olympic Games. He is also currently scheduled to play an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia next month but it is unknown as to if he will play another ATP event this year.
“I miss him. I’m not going to lie, I miss him in the Laver Cup,” Alcaraz said in tribute to Nadal.
“As much time as I can spend with him, for me it’s a privilege. I don’t want to think that it is a potential last dance for him in Malaga. I just want to enjoy seeing him on court as much as I can.
“Obviously it is a great support having him in the team. He can bring a lot of experience to the Davis Cup. For me, it’s going to be my first Davis Cup Final. It’s going to be a great experience for me.”
Alcaraz is chasing after his fifth Tour title of 2024 in China. His opening match will be against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon earlier this year.
