Carlos Alcaraz is not really a fan of the hectic schedule that tennis players are forced to play. Back in September 2024, when the Spaniard beat Ben Shelton in the Laver Cup, he had openly criticized the ATP for a tight tennis calendar. “Probably they are gonna kill us in some way…” the five-time Grand Slam champ expressed his concern. “It is difficult. Sometimes I didn’t feel motivated at all. The calendar’s so tight. A lot of tournaments … not as (many) days off as I want. I’ve been feeling this a few times already, that I don’t want to go to that tournament. I want to stay at home with my family and my friends,” the 22-year-old added.

Although he went on to win another Grand Slam in Paris, along with two Masters 1000 titles after his open criticism of the hectic schedule, Alcaraz’s struggle was visible on the grass court when he faced an in-form Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard, who did not get a proper break during this time, eventually failed to defend his Wimbledon title.

While the World No. 2 might still be processing his four-set defeat at the Centre Court, the US Open now looms large. And before Alcaraz begins his preparation for the hard-court slam, he has been told to take a back step by the former Spanish ace Alex Corretja. With the Canadian Open, a $1. million prize event, set to start in the last week of July, Corretja, in an express report, said, “I never interfere in the schedule my great friend Juan Carlos Ferrero decides with Carlos Alcaraz, but I just hope he doesn’t go to Toronto.”

Though the Canadian Open is the final July event before the US Open kicks off in August, Corretja has zeroed in on Alcaraz’s long stay in London, stretching from Queen’s Club to Wimbledon, as a hidden drain on his energy reserves. “We’re not talking about whether he won the Wimbledon final or lost it,” he noted. “We’re talking about the fact that he’s been in London for a month, that he won Queens… All of that takes its toll.” From the changes in surface to endless press conferences, doping checks, hotel switches, and constant flights, it’s a grind even for the strongest.

With that in mind, Corretja didn’t mince words about what Alcaraz needs most right now. “I think Carlos Alcaraz needs a bit of rest right now,” he said, “so that in the second half of the season, when he sometimes loses some steam, he doesn’t really end up feeling so weak for the rest of the season.” While ultimately respecting whatever Ferrero and Alcaraz decide, Corretja added, “But from the outside, I think, please don’t let him go.”

Sunday’s defeat marked Alcaraz’s first loss in a Grand Slam final, a bitter pill, but not without value. Corretja, ever the mentor in tone, highlighted how setbacks can be tools for growth. “Everything that’s happening to Alcaraz is good: when he wins and when he doesn’t,” he explained. “That awakens his hunger and desire to progress and evolve. If you only win, you think you’re doing everything right. If you get beaten, then you think you’re not unbeatable.”

Next month’s US Open could bring a fiery rematch against Jannik Sinner, who enters as the defending champion. That high-stakes showdown now looms large on Alcaraz’s radar, another chapter in this electric rivalry.

And despite his countryman’s plea to skip Toronto, Alcaraz remains hungry. Even after the sting of Wimbledon, the Spaniard’s fire hasn’t dimmed. He’s still eager to compete at the very top, chasing excellence one tournament at a time.

Carlos Alcaraz remains determined despite Wimbledon heartbreak

Alcaraz and Sinner’s three-hour battle on Centre Court was more than a spectacle; it was a testament to Jannik Sinner’s grit. After a frustrating end to the first set, the Italian didn’t fold. Instead, he marched on with steely focus, and unlike in Paris, Sinner delivered his sharpest tennis in the clutch moments.

In the third set, he served with authority, keeping Carlos Alcaraz on the back foot, while his relentless aggression suffocated the Spaniard. And when the fourth set reached a boiling point, Sinner didn’t blink; this time, he held firm.

A month ago, this would’ve crumbled. Leading two sets to one while up 4-3 in the fourth, Sinner had dug a 15-40 ditch for himself. But this time, he dug in. No nervous collapse. No opening the door for Alcaraz. Instead, Sinner clawed his way out with bold, fearless shot-making, the kind of tennis that confirmed his place atop the sport’s hierarchy. It was a different Sinner, one who stared down pressure and rewrote his own script.

For Alcaraz, there was no miracle comeback like the one he pulled off in Paris. But his fighting spirit remains unshaken. Despite last year’s US Open disappointment, after an emotionally draining Olympic final loss to Novak Djokovic, the Spaniard is staying true to himself. “Well, I think it’s different. It’s a different feeling, to be honest,” he admitted.

“Yeah, last year in the Olympics I was really bad emotionally after the match. It was really, really hard for me to accept that moment,” Alcaraz reflected. But time, as it does, has brought him growth. “Right now, I think in the last year I’ve been through different situations that I learned from them.” He’s learned to ride the waves, not fight them.

“Right now, I’m in a position where I’ve spoken a few times already that, okay, I just accept everything that is coming to me in the way it comes. Like, okay, I just lost a final in a Grand Slam, but I just really proud about being in a final… I just want to keep the good moments and trying to forget the bad moments.”

With that mindset, the grass-court drama fades, and the US Open grind begins. The question now burns: can the 2022 champion rewrite his story in New York and reclaim the crown that once marked his arrival?