TNT Sports
Carlos Alcaraz has 'emotional wear and tear' and now struggles with 'weight on young shoulders', says Alex Corretja
By
Updated 19/03/2025 at 08:22 GMT
Two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja said that he believes Carlos Alcaraz needs time to adjust to life on the ATP Tour. The former world No. 1 is, according to his compatriot, looking jaded after his Indian Wells semi-final defeat to tournament winner Jack Draper. He suggested Alcaraz needs to continue to work on his game as he negotiates the pressure of being an elite competitor.
Carlos Alcaraz, Indian Wells 2025
Image credit: Getty Images
Former men’s tennis world No. 2 Alex Corretja believes Carlos Alcaraz is struggling with a "weight on his young shoulders" and "emotional wear and tear."
The Spaniard struggled against Jack Draper in the semi-final at Indian Wells, losing a topsy-turvy match 6-1 0-6 6-4.
, a career highlight, but 21-year-old Alcaraz, a former world No. 1, has not been at his best in 2025.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Corretja suggested that the manner of Alcaraz’s early success has put a lot of pressure on him without too much time to adjust to the demands of being both a superstar and elite athlete.
He said: "For me, everything is very abrupt with Alcaraz. Everything happened so quickly. He is still searching and trying to understand who he is, he is still figuring out what the circuit is and what life is on it. Alcaraz has become a world star in the media and, therefore, has a very difficult weight on his young shoulders.
"Yes, he wins titles. If he earns money, we all know that he's privileged. But the toll that comes with that, to become someone so powerful for the brands, for the fans, for everything that comes with it, now he has a series that has been made for him, a documentary, all the exhibitions, all this has a wear and tear.
- Swiatek surprised by 'harsh judgement' after ball boy incident
- Draper beats Rune to win Indian Wells title
"It has physical wear and tear, but it has tremendous emotional wear and tear. And that's what I think he and his team are trying to find a balance, so that when the important tournaments come, he's at 100%."
Corretja, a two-time French Open finalist, believes that Alcaraz looks a bit jaded and overwhelmed, and suggested that he will need a calmer period in order to help him practise and improve.
He explained: "Mentally, sometimes he looks a little bit saturated, maybe he is not so fresh, and that entails everything we are talking about. It's a feeling that maybe he needs a little more tranquillity than I think he sometimes has. I think he'll need to find spaces where he's much more relaxed, moments in the season where he can practise things."
Alcaraz emerged almost fully formed on his way to becoming No. 1, back in 2022, and he has continued to dominate the sport at times, winning both the French Open and Wimbledon last year. However, the continued presence of Novak Djokovic coupled with Jannik Sinner’s ascent, and a new generation of senior players on the tour, have given him plenty of challenges to negotiate.
Corretja believes that Alcaraz needs to be able to adjust to the grind of the sport, and accept there will be times that he is not able to win over the course of a gruelling season each year.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/03/16/4110184-83341328-2560-1440.png)
Highlights: Draper stuns Alcaraz to reach Indian Wells final
Video credit: SNTV
He said: "I believe that Alcaraz cannot lose his DNA, he cannot lose his personality, but he will have to understand that life will not always be joy, he will not always be able to have a good time, he will not always be able to enjoy himself, to laugh and say, ‘Well, that is when I am at my best.’
"There are days when he will not be able to do that. And I think there have been moments, especially last year, at Roland Garros, when he accepted it very well. But then, during the season, if he plays 70, 80 matches plus the others with commitments etc., there will be times when he will have to tighten his belt and accept that that day he simply has to win, maybe without feeling so brilliant, without giving so much of a show, but focusing on securing that match.
"And I think that is still the debate he has to have internally, because he is used to everything going very well, to him feeling the perfect ball. What happens when that doesn't happen? I think that generates some anxiety, some nerves. And that's why I think he will have to find a balance, to say, 'OK, I have my flashy game, my creativity, but realistically, what do I need to win today?'"
He continued, suggesting that given Alcaraz is still only 21, there is plenty of time for him to improve his game, and also said that it is natural that there are still elements that he will be able to improve over the coming years.
"And there will be times when, being practical, he will win anyway, because his level of tennis is very high," he continued. "But, in my opinion, he is still so young! We tend to forget it, it is normal for him to not know all this. And it is normal that he still has to improve his serve, and it is normal that he still has to improve his consistency, because at his age it is impossible for him to have learned so many things. He hasn't had enough time, he has already done too much for his age.
"But I think it is a balance to find and, in my opinion and with all the affection I have for him, I think he will have to work on it and, above all, understand it. It is a matter of acceptance and understanding. And I think that one of the things that will have to have more impact is for Carlos to continue to realise that his tennis is spectacular. But without being spectacular, he also has to win, because that is what will make him add victories throughout the year."
Corretja concluded that life as a professional means that Alcaraz will at times have to play within himself, and that while he will want to be successful and an entertainer, grinding out victories is a necessary part of the sport.
He said of Alcaraz: "No, he is not a machine. Alcaraz is really someone who is inspired, who feels and from there flows. But in a sport as practical and as changing as tennis, for me, he is going to have to understand that he has to. Perhaps, he’ll need to be just solid in those moments without the need to be the most spectacular person on the planet, because there are other places in the world to watch a great show.
"You are a tennis player, and it's okay for you to try to put on a good show and for people to have a good time. But there are moments in tennis when it's impossible to have a good time. Sometimes you don't enjoy yourself.
"When there is a storm on court in Indian Wells, let's face it: you are not having a good time. It's a lie to say, ‘No, I had a good time.' In this case, you adapt and accept the conditions, control your anxiety, you try not to make it an extreme suffering, because mentally it can be a terrible wear."
Watch and stream the 2025 French Open live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Thoughts?
Advertisement
Advertisement