Carlos Alcaraz admits overcoming ‘nerves’ is tough as he couldn’t handle them when he faced Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz thinks he suffers from cramps mainly due to nerves which take a toll on him, especially against tough opponents.
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Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Danny, The Tennis Letter)
Carlos Alcaraz has four Grand Slam titles under his belt but in spite of that, nerves get the better of him. When he faces Novak Djokovic, he finds it tough to overcome his nerves.
Nerves sometimes are the reason behind his cramps. Back in 2023, when Alcaraz met Djokovic in the French Open semifinal, he suffered from cramps because nerves took a toll on him.
I’ve had matches with cramps. In the legs and arms, and it’s tough. Most of all, it’s the nerves, the demands of the match, the heat, the hydration, but mainly the nerves. When nerves get the best of you, it takes a toll. I dealt with it much better with [Jannik] Sinner than with Djokovic. It also happened in the final with [Alexander] Zverev.
Carlos Alcaraz told El Hormiguero
Alcaraz faced Djokovic eight times, winning three of those matches. It was the Serb who clinched victory the last two times they faced each other (in the 2024 Paris Olympics final and the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals).
Both Alcaraz and Djokovic are in Madrid, gearing up for the second Masters 1000 of the season on clay. They could once again face each other if both of them progress to the semifinal.
Alcaraz will meet the winner of the first-round match between Zizou Bergs and Yoshihito Nishioka, while the 24-time Grand Slam champion will face the winner of the first-round clash between Matteo Arnaldi and Borna Coric. While Alcaraz will enter the match as a two-time champion, having won the Madrid Open in 2022 and 2023, Djokovic will aim for his fourth title (previously winning in 2011, 2016, and 2019).
The Serb will also continue his hunt for his 100th title of his career. He last reached a singles final at this year’s Miami Open but lost the title to Jakub Mensik who bagged his career’s first ATP title. The last title he lifted was the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Rafael Nadal backs Carlos Alcaraz to develop his own identity
Carlos Alcaraz wants to be Carlos Alcaraz and not Rafael Nadal. Over the years, Alcaraz was considered Nadal’s successor, the “heir to the throne to the Spanish crown“, as he is expected to emulate what Nadal has done in his storied career. But Alcaraz wants to develop his own identity and his idol backed him for the same, stating on the Netflix documentary Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, how such comparisons create unnecessary pressure.
When you’re so young and being compared to someone who’s been on the circuit for so many years, sometimes you get worn out and overwhelmed by the pressure. Because, in the end, I think it can distort your daily life and confuse you.
Rafael Nadal said
Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles also advised the young Spaniard to never lose the drive if he wants to win 20 or more Grand Slam titles. The 38-year-old bade his farewell last year at the Davis Cup after Spain’s defeat to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Carlos Alcaraz will bid for his second title of the season at the Madrid Open
Before the Madrid Open, Carlos Alcaraz lost the Barcelona Open title to Holger Rune. It was his third final of the season, following the Rotterdam Open and the Monte Carlo Masters, both of which he lifted for the first time in his career.
He entered the clay swing without winning a title in the two Sunshine Double tournaments for the first time since 2021. The 21-year-old lost to eventual winner Jack Draper in the semifinals of Indian Wells and to David Goffin in his opening round of the Miami Open.
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