Roberto Bautista Agut sends warning to Carlos Alcaraz about the ‘tennis demands’ as he aims to reach the top on his terms
Carlos Alcaraz and Roberto Bautista Agut are two Spanish tennis stars currently on the opposite ends of their careers.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Roberto Bautista Agut (via X)
Spanish tennis veteran Roberto Bautista Agut has shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz and his ambitions to reach the pinnacle of men’s tennis. Bautista Agut is proud of Alcaraz’s career so far but is also concerned about his approach to reaching the top.
Bautista Agut, who has played against Alcaraz on clay, believes that the 21-year-old needs to be mindful of the physical demands of tennis in order to achieve perfection in the game. He was speaking to the media after losing to Alexander Zverev at the Madrid Open.
I believe that top-level tennis demands a lot. I don’t think Carlos will win Grand Slams by going to bed at seven in the morning. Tennis is very demanding, though everything seems beautiful now, he is very young; he has to understand that to match the achievements of the top three, he must play at a high level for fifteen years. I consider him intelligent; he will surely gradually realize what it takes to reach that high level and implement it.
Roberto Bautista Agut said in his post-match press conference
Alcaraz is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world today, having won four Grand Slam titles and six Masters 1000 crowns. However, his packed schedule and physically intense playing style seem to be taking a toll on his body.
This year, Alcaraz has won two titles so far. Still, periods of inconsistency continue to affect his progress as he aims to challenge Jannik Sinner for the World No. 1 ranking.
Alexander Zverev dispatches Roberto Bautista Agut in Madrid
Alexander Zverev began his Madrid Open campaign in style on Friday. He defeated Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2 to reach the third round. Zverev has now won six matches in a row, including his title win in Munich last week.
The top seed looked sharp from the start. He controlled the match with powerful shots and strong serving. Zverev won 81% of his first-serve points and hit 32 winners, while Bautista Agut managed only four.
Taylor Fritz also made a winning return. The American beat Christopher O’Connell 6-1, 6-4 in his first match since recovering from an abdominal injury. Fritz had not played since March due to the issue. Despite the long break, Fritz looked confident and moved well on the clay. It was his first match on the surface since the Paris Olympics, and he now moves on to the third round in Madrid.
Carlos Alcaraz could have delayed his Madrid Open withdrawal
World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz may have known as early as Monday that he wouldn’t play in the Madrid Open. But with a big week ahead, he likely faced pressure to delay the news. His new Netflix documentary launched the same week, and Madrid was meant to be a major moment.
The tournament venue in Madrid was filled with ads promoting the docuseries. His commercial team is working to make Alcaraz the new face of men’s tennis. Even though Jannik Sinner is ranked No. 1, Alcaraz is already seen as the tour’s biggest star.
He got injured in the Barcelona Open final last Sunday. A scan on Monday likely confirmed he couldn’t play. Still, staying in the draw helped keep the spotlight on his Netflix release and created buzz around his potential appearance.
Alcaraz even attended the series launch on Wednesday. By the time he officially withdrew on Thursday, most people already expected it. But the timing helped his team keep the focus on his growing brand.
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