The brutal rant against Alcaraz: "It's difficult to take him seriously"
The former Australian player and ex-coach of Serena Williams delivered a harsh criticism against the tennis players who complain about the schedule.
Undoubtedly, it is the topic of debate this past week. Iga Swiatek revived a harsh criticism of the tennis calendar and especially of the organizations, pointing out the rules that "force" the female players to compete in a certain number of tournaments throughout the season, leading to some fatigue by the end of the year.
It didn't take long for Carlos Alcaraz to echo the statements of the current world number two, admitting that the continuity of tournaments makes everything very demanding: "The calendar is very tight, something needs to be done. There are too many mandatory and consecutive tournaments. They have imposed rules that force us to play Masters 1000 tournaments, ATP 500... There are too many regulations that do not allow us, as players, to choose whether to play or not," said the player from Murcia.
A few days later, Novak Djokovic did not hesitate to respond firmly to both Swiatek and Alcaraz, making it clear that the players are not united enough, also taking a dig at the complaints and participation in exhibition tournaments.
- Harsh Criticism of Carlos Alcaraz Regarding Calendar Complaints
"It seems funny to me because, much as I love Carlos, lately I've seen that he is literally registered in almost all the December exhibitions," said former Australian tennis player and ex-coach of Serena Williams, Rennar Stubbs, in the latest episode of her podcast, critically.
"I don't blame the players; the circuits need to change in some way. It's hard to take the players seriously when they say: yes, the calendar needs to be more condensed to be able to go to exhibitions in the Miami suburbs. I repeat, it's not so much criticism, it's just a bit inconsistent. That amuses me," explained the former player emphatically, though aware of the players' complaints.
"I will also say this about Carlos: he does not complain about the calendar, and I think he gets away with it, and he also decides not to play in certain tournaments because he doesn't want to. There are many people who can do a great job, but the ATP and the WTA tend to be more closed organizations. Having 7 controlling organizations is a disaster. They responded to the players' letter defensively, without really thinking about a true transformation."
Seeking Change
"From a television standpoint, there are three names that draw people in: Carlos, Coco, and Novak. We know that when Carlos faces Jannik, there's a lot of excitement, when Coco plays Sabalenka, the same. They are there, but people don't say: 'I want to see Jannik, I want to see Sabalenka'. Those players have a lot of power in negotiations in general. I've been on the circuit for 22 years, and I can say that today it's tougher, the matches are longer and harder. It's a brutal sport: the time zone changes, the amount of travel...".
Precisely next month in October, the Six Kings Slam will take place in Saudi Arabia, a tournament where players like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, or Stefanos Tsitsipas are expected to be, players who have chosen by their own decision or obligated by physical needs not to play the entire Asian tour.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La brutal rajada contra Alcaraz: "Es difícil tomarle en serio"