“When you lose, everything is always dramatized”- said the ATP legend, David Ferrer on Carlos Alcaraz’s early round exit at the US Open. It was a shocking result for the Spaniard. However, the World No.3 had been consistent for over half of the season. He won Roland Garros and Wimbledon championships back to back, before claiming the Paris Olympics silver. But after numerous big wins, there is a missing piece identified by Alcaraz’s compatriot, Ferrer. What is Alcaraz missing after playing terrific tennis in the circuit?
Winning and losing are part of life rather than just sports. However, in between these two phases comes another crucial link, “rest, learn and lose”. Amidst winning, sometimes players forget to take a step back and recover. Ferrer discovered this missing piece of the puzzle for the World No.3, after the former’s tragic exit on the hard court major. Hence, when Alcaraz asked for rest, the coach obliged. As quoted by Sportsklub on September 10th, Ferrer said, “Now he asked for a rest, reset himself. I complied with all that and I am completely calm.” Why would Ferrer comply without ado?
The Spanish tennis legend said, “He is so good because he demands a lot from himself, but he has to learn and lose. People outside of tennis think he can win all the time.” Rightly so, after having an amazing clay and grass court swing, tennis enthusiasts were hopeful of Alcaraz claiming the one hard court title this season after exiting the Australian Open(against Alexander Zverev in QFs). However, it’s impossible to win all the matches for any player. And not just in tennis. In Ferrer’s words, “But that’s impossible. Even Rafa, Roger, and Novak, the best in history, couldn’t do that.”
Rightly so. There is no perfection even for the top players! During his graduation speech at Dartmouth University, even Roger Federer pointed out the fallacy of assuming that the top player wins all the matches. He had said that in the 1526 matches he played during this professional career, he just won 80% of them. And what’s more astonishing is the fact that he only won 54% of the points(in those matches).
Moreover, Novak Djokovic lost to Alcaraz in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships final. And in the turn of events, Alcaraz lost to Djokovic at the Paris Olympics. Moreover, after Alcaraz’s surprisingly frustrated conduct at the US Open, the Spaniard needed a break to rest, reset, and regroup for the upcoming Davis Cup. However, this missing puzzle piece may not have escaped the Spaniard’s mind, as he had earlier talked about taking small breaks!
The US Open defeat: Did it reenforce the need for rest and regroup deeply in Carlos Alcaraz?
Alcaraz suffered two big losses consecutively. However, the Paris Olympics did converge somewhat happily with a silver medal. But the result at the US Open altogether has been unfathomable for the Spaniard himself. As the World No.3 resorted to smashing the racquet on the court against Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 event’s semis. And Gael Monfils during the 2024 Cincinnati Open. Hence, it’s not surprising that Alcaraz opted for rest this time around. However, he had earlier talked about taking short breaks to recover, but the US Open certainly delivered an impactful lesson for him!
After his win at the French Open, he took a trip to Ibiza with his close friends. Opening up on his short trip, he had said, “It is crazy to be able to play these types of tournaments, to be able to win them. I don’t want to feel like a slave to tennis and not have time for myself. And those “Little getaways to Ibiza,” I think it is fundamental and very necessary to then perform and come back to the court with batteries charged.”
Undoubtedly, we would see Alcaraz dominating the tennis circuit time and again. But to ensure longevity while tackling the top players, and adjusting the demanding tennis schedule, Carlos Alcaraz might need to take a few steps back time and again. To be back, better than ever!
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