Carlos Alcaraz is back on the circuit for the Paris Masters after competing in the Six King Slams exhibition event and withdrawing from the Shanghai Masters due to injury. During the media day in Paris, the Spanish star seized the opportunity to once again criticize the demanding ATP calendar, arguing that significant changes are essential.
This is not the first time Alcaraz has spoken out against the tour’s schedule, arguing that players simply do not have adequate time for rest and training between high-stakes tournaments. He has previously voiced complaints about the same problem, echoing the demands made by WTA star Iga Swiatek.
“I don’t have an exact number of matches we should play, I can’t give an exact figure, but they obviously need to do something about the schedule. The number of tournaments we have to play is too high,” Alcaraz explained. “We don’t have enough time to train and rest. Even during the season, I think it’s week after week and we don’t have the chance to have a week to prepare well for the tournaments or what awaits us in the season”.
The World No. 1 faced criticism for his decision to skip Shanghai, but he maintained that prioritizing his recovery was vital, as he simply wasn’t fit enough to play another consecutive event. Before his withdrawal, the Spanish champion had played the Cincinnati Masters, US Open, and Japan Open back-to-back, winning all three titles. He also played for Team Europe in the Laver Cup in San Francisco during that period.
“Obviously I didn’t want to withdraw from Shanghai. It’s a really important tournament for me and for the players,” Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday in Paris. “But I had to heal my body, and I think I wasn’t ready to play another tournament in a row. So I just preferred to come back home, recover the ankle, and try to be in good shape for this time of the year”.
Alcaraz ready for Paris Masters
The Paris Masters has historically been a challenging stop for Alcaraz on the circuit; his best result remains reaching the quarterfinals in 2022. The Spaniard indicated that he often arrives at this part of the calendar with depleted energy, which is why he was determined to be well-rested this year in pursuit of a strong result.
“I think we could see last year, two years ago, that I’m not coming fresh to this time of the year. So I really wanted to put more attention on that, being in good shape, practising well, and coming here, thinking that I can do a really good result. So right now, physically I’m feeling good. I just practised well, hitting the ball really well,” Alcaraz stated.
After receiving a first-round bye, Alcaraz now awaits the winner of the match between Cameron Norrie and Sebastian Baez for his second-round debut in the French capital.