Carlos Alcaraz admits feeling pressure of ‘wanting to make people happy’ which he doesn’t ‘like’
Carlos Alcaraz is in Barcelona where he arrived following his successful campaign at the Monte Carlo Masters.
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Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Tennis Panorama News)
Carlos Alcaraz is currently participating at the Barcelona Open where he has moved into the second round. During an interview, the Spaniard revealed whether he handles the pressure better than when he was much younger.
Alcaraz turned professional in 2018 and two years later, he played his first ATP main draw match. Then in 2022, a 19-year-old Alcaraz became a US Open champion, which made him the youngest man to climb to the top of the rankings table. Alcaraz said when he was a newcomer, things were easier as he had to deal with a different kind of pressure.
It’s a different kind of pressure. It’s the pressure of playing with players you’ve seen on TV; the pressure of wanting to show the world what you’re capable of. I think that pressure is nice, something you’re grateful for, because it helps you stay alert and give your best.
Carlos Alcaraz told Marca
The four-time Grand Slam champion recently captured his career’s first Monte Carlo Masters. It was his second title of the season following the Rotterdam Open (which was also his first indoor hardcourt trophy).
The pressure I have now, or players who have already won things, is the pressure of wanting to make people happy because otherwise, they’re going to beat you up. And that’s the pressure I really don’t like. When you’re new, everything is easier.
Carlos Alcaraz added
Last year, Alcaraz completed the rare Channel Slam, winning the French Open by beating Alexander Zverev in five sets and denying Novak Djokovic his 25th Grand Slam title. Apart from the two Majors, he added two more titles to his trophy cabinet.
In Barcelona, Alcaraz moved past Ethan Quinn in the second round to set up a clash with Serbia’s Laslo Djere, against whom, the 21-year-old is 1-0 in the head-to-head record. Alcaraz is bidding to win his third title in the tournament following 2022 and 2023. Last year, he skipped the tournament because of an injury.
Carlos Alcaraz backs players’ demand for a better share of profits in the Grand Slam tournaments
A few weeks ago, the top 20 players approached the Grand Slam events to demand a better share of the revenue generated from the Grand Slam tournaments. They argued that players in the American sports get a much better share than what the tennis players earn.
Novak Djokovic wants the Major tournaments to increase the percentage to match the ATP events. Casper Ruud said players receiving a small percentage of profits is unfair.
Aryna Sabalenka said players deserve to be paid more, while Qinwen Zheng claimed a better percentage would help the lower-ranked players make ends meet. When Carlos Alcaraz was asked to give his opinion during that interview with Marca, he too echoed similar sentiments.
Yes, we agree. Tennis is a well-paid sport, but the percentages have to be fair. If we put on a show so the fans can enjoy it and pay to see us, then the percentage has to be close to what we deserve. And that’s why we’ve come together.
Carlos Alcaraz said
The report of players signing the letter to the Grand Slam tournaments emerged following the Professional Tennis Players Association’s (PTPA) class-action lawsuit along with 12 current and former players against ATP, WTA, ITF, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). The players union, founded by Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil in 2020, criticized various rules and regulations and accused the tennis bodies of not taking care of the players’ well-being.
Djokovic, however, was not listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit and he agreed and disagreed with the contents. The 24-time Grand Slam champion also felt the language was too strong.
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