Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, has raised concerns about the demanding tennis calendar, claiming it is “going to kill us.” The 21-year-old has already played 50 singles matches in 2023, winning three titles and an Olympic silver medal.
Alcaraz expressed his frustration after defeating Ben Shelton at the Laver Cup, stating that the schedule is “so tight” and has led to numerous injuries. He admitted that he sometimes struggles to find motivation due to the relentless schedule.
“Sometimes, you don’t want to go to a tournament,” Alcaraz said. “I’m not going to lie — I have felt this way a few times already.”
Alexander Zverev, the world number two, echoed Alcaraz’s concerns, criticizing the ATP for prioritizing money over player well-being. “The ATP doesn’t care about our opinion — it’s a money business,” Zverev said. “It’s the longest season in sports. It’s unnecessarily long. We have an unnecessary amount of tournaments.”
Zverev called for action, but acknowledged that players are limited in their options due to potential fines for boycotting tournaments.
Alcaraz also expressed his hope that he and Jannik Sinner can develop a rivalry similar to that of the “Big Three” (Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer). “I hope that our rivalry is going to be almost like what the big three had during their whole career,” Alcaraz said.
In 2023, Alcaraz and Sinner each won two Grand Slams, marking the first year since 2002 that neither Federer, Nadal, nor Djokovic won a major.
Despite his concerns about the calendar, Alcaraz remains optimistic about the future of tennis. “Hopefully we’re going to keep going like that, fighting for the great tournaments, sharing great moments,” he said.
