Tennis might look like a game of skill and precision, but let’s not forget the intense mental battle it brings—even for the coolest of players. And when it comes to the ATP Finals, where the stakes are sky-high, even the brightest stars can crack under pressure. This time, all eyes turned to Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish star who’s been on a meteoric rise this season. But during his third match against Alexander Zverev, it seemed the weight of expectations got the better of him forcing him to display immense frustration on the court.

The Spanish Tennis sensation took on Alexander Zverev on Friday with the goal of winning the match and qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament. However, things did not seem to go as planned with the star player losing the first set after a close contest, 7-6(5). This left the 21-year-old frustrated and he took out his anger on his racquet. 

In a video shared on X, Alcaraz can be seen heading to the sides of the court after the first set. He smashed his racquet against the ground which fell on his kit bag, as struggle and frustration were evident on his face. Eventually, he ended up losing the match in straight sets after dropping the second set 6-4. This gesture, meanwhile, was indeed surprising for many in the tennis community since Alcaraz is usually known for his calm and composed attitude even in adverse situations. This, however, is not the first time when Alcaraz has depicted such a gesture.

Playing against Gael Monfils in the Cincinnati Masters this year, Alcaraz was seen struggling to earn each point. Although the encounter started as per the expectations with Alcaraz winning the first set, things started to take a turn as the Frenchman managed to secure the second set in his name. Being pushed for the third one, Alcaraz seemed to be quite downtrodden and eventually lost his cool after giving up on a point. This resulted in an act full of rage on the courts of Cincinnati as the Spaniard was seen smashing his racket several times. Ultimately, he ended up being baffled in the three-setter match against Monfils. Coming back to his ongoing campaign, Carlos Alcaraz has witnessed serious struggles from the very beginning. 

The 4-time Grand Slam champion started his campaign with a shocking defeat in straight sets against Casper Ruud. While he managed to overcome the struggles and won significantly against Andrey Rublev, he is once again facing some serious concerns against the German sensation. This comes at a time when he is also battling health issues and is suffering from a cold and blocked nose, which is increasing his burden in the tournament. His challenges were also highlighted by his team in a concerning admission. 

“Finds it hard to breathe” – When Carlos Alcaraz’s coach gave a concerning update about his health

Carlos Alcaraz is definitely not at the best of his health and skills. He is regularly seen wearing nasal strips during his practice sessions and matches. These strips help him increase the airflow by widening the nostrils and improve breathing by decreasing air resistance in the nasal passages. But despite taking adequate measures, Alcaraz has continued to face struggles as revealed earlier by his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. 

Speaking to the press about Alcaraz’s health, Ferrero earlier revealed, “As soon as he moves a bit, he finds it hard to breathe. He has tightness in his chest. A bad time to fall ill.” He also highlighted that these problems are proving to be major roadblocks for the 21-year-old in Turin. To make matters worse, he has also been suffering from stomach problems as a side effect of the medication he has been taking, per reports.

For now, it would be crucial to see if he can overcome his challenges anytime soon as he would now gear up to play alongside Rafael Nadal in the Davis Cup.