Mats Wilander has weighed in on Carlos Alcaraz’s recent form, offering a thoughtful take on the young Spaniard’s performance heading into the ATP Finals in Turin. While Alcaraz has already enjoyed an impressive season, capturing two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, Wilander notes that the conversation around him has taken a curious turn. “There’s a lot of doubt with Carlos Alcaraz,” Wilander observed. “Even though he won two majors, the final of the Olympics is not that bad, even though everybody’s trying to make it out as ‘he didn’t win the Olympics’. That would have been an amazing year.”
Wilander’s comments highlight the outsized expectations placed on Alcaraz, given his meteoric rise to the top of men’s tennis. The 21-year-old’s success, including major titles and his growing rivalry with Novak Djokovic, has turned him into one of the sport’s biggest attractions. But recent losses to lower-ranked players have sparked questions about his consistency. For Wilander, these surprising defeats are precisely what make Alcaraz a fascinating player to watch.
“Why I like Carlos Alcaraz in this situation is that, in the last few weeks, he’s lost to players that you scratch your head and go ‘whoa, how does he lose to this player?’” Wilander explained. For many athletes, such losses could signify a slump or an underlying issue with form or confidence. However, Wilander sees an opportunity for Alcaraz to use the high stakes and top-level competition in Turin as fuel to regain his best form. “He doesn’t have to play these players [in Turin]. He only has to play guys that are ranked in the top eight in the world. I think immediately Alcaraz will get fired up.”
Wilander’s remarks suggest that the pressure and prestige of facing the world’s best in a focused setting might be exactly what Alcaraz needs. Unlike tournaments with larger draws, where upsets by lower-ranked players are more common, the ATP Finals present a concentrated challenge, pitting the elite against one another. For Alcaraz, who thrives on intense matches and big-stage moments, this could be the perfect proving ground to silence doubts and reinforce his status as one of tennis’ brightest stars.
The context of Alcaraz’s season adds weight to Wilander’s assessment. After dominating at Wimbledon and claiming victory on the clay of Roland Garros, he experienced a dip marked by unexpected defeats. For a player still in the early stages of his career, such ups and downs are not unusual. The expectations, however, reflect how much Alcaraz has already achieved—and how much more is anticipated from him.
As Turin approaches, fans and analysts alike will be keenly watching how Alcaraz responds. The competition among the world’s top eight promises no easy matches. Instead, it offers Alcaraz a stage to show that his setbacks are temporary and that he belongs among the very best. Whether he rises to the challenge or continues to grapple with recent struggles remains to be seen, but as Wilander suggests, the Spaniard has shown time and again that he thrives under pressure.