Tennis great Roger Federer has dished out some sage advice to Carlos Alcaraz regarding the dangers of his all-action playing style.
The Swiss maestro is worried the 21-year-old could burn out if he doesn’t start picking his battles more carefully on court. The high-octane style has paid dividends for Alcaraz thus far in his career, but Federer has suggested he can be more efficient with the way he expends energy.
Alcaraz has already bagged four Grand Slam titles and drawn comparisons to legends like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic thanks to his movement and stamina. But Federer – who won 20 Grand Slams titles before retiring from tennis – thinks the young gun needs to learn to let a few balls slide by to save himself in the long haul.
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“Obviously he’s got to be careful, you know, [that] he doesn’t run basically for every ball because it’s not necessary,” the icon told Stan Sport. “But he’ll learn that with age and with time. But also very strong [mentally] when it matters the most.”
Alcaraz had the tennis world buzzing with the prospect of him nailing three majors in a row this year after triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon. But his dreams of US Open glory were dashed in a shock second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp.
After being knocked out in a stunning upset, the former New York champ didn’t point fingers at anyone but himself, dishing out praise to Van de Zandschulp for his display. Alcaraz did hint that he couldn’t quite “increase his level,” however, suggesting the season’s grind started to take its toll as fatigue perhaps crept in.
Do you think Alcaraz will eclipse Djokovic’s haul of 24 Grand Slam titles? Let us know in the comments section below.
(Image: Kate Green/Getty Images)
Federer might be onto something with his advice, though Alcaraz has since redeemed himself at the Laver Cup. The Spaniard played a key role in guiding Team Europe to the title, recording more wins than any other player for his continent.
He’s now set to put a bow on this stunner of a season at the ATP Finals come November, where Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev will also be in contention. Alcaraz boasts an incredible 43-9 win-loss record thus far in 2024 and earned a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, in addition to doubling up on Grand Slam crowns.
There’s little doubt the up-and-comer has more titles on his horizon. However, as one who’s been around the block and has the credentials to show for it, Federer’s words of wisdom could boost Alcaraz’s odds of success even more.