Carlos Alcaraz‘s recent visit to New York City electrified the tennis world. He not only took time to be at the Knicks game alongside Ben Shelton but also played an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden. It is worth nothing that all this is just three weeks after his last appearance at the Davis Cup. While other tennis stars are getting married or vacationing, Alcaraz is having a never ending season. In light of this, Serena Williams’ former coach, Rennae Stubbs, shoot questions of his “time off”.

In a December 1oth episode of the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Stubbs touched base on Alcaraz’s never-ending 2024 season. “Yeah, the fact that Carlos, I mean, I gotta be honest, the fact that he played and then he played Charlotte. Now he’s already done that Charlotte event, yeah. But like, I’m like, when is this guy having any time off?” For the unversed, two days after his match with Shelton, Alcaraz jetted to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face Frances Tiafoe. Is Alcaraz going to have a typical offseason?

“He’s starting his preseason this coming week. I asked his agent. So I’m like, apparently, had, like, two weeks off. Didn’t hit a tennis ball after, after Davis Cup. I’m like, so when he played Ben, he hadn’t hit a ball in like two weeks. Those were his, those were his weeks off. And then coming to play these Exos was like him getting started for the next year. I’m like, f-ck, you know, man, I tell you, if I’m Jannik sinner, I’m sitting back there going, Okay, well, I had pretty good preseason. I had like, two weeks off, I didn’t do anything, and then I went straight into it. I don’t know. We’ll see,” concluded Stubbs.

The exhibition match lived up to its billing and therefore provided nonstop entertainment with impressive rallies and electrifying shot-making. Shelton took the first set 6-4, but Alcaraz fought back to claim the second set 6-2. The match went to a deciding tiebreaker, where Alcaraz prevailed 10-7. The reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion celebrated his win with a gold trophy. The same night, 2024’s most improved player of the year, Emma Navarro, defeat Jessica Pegula in a closely contested match. Navarro triumphed 7-6, 7-5.

Furthermore, Stubbs revealed just how much Carlos Alcaraz earned for his recent exhibition at Madison Square Garden. “The rumour is that it is between $1 and $2 million, guaranteed,” she said. “I have heard as much as $2 million.”

While Alcaraz is currently juggling numerous offseason and preseason commitments, he previously voiced concerns about the demanding tennis schedule.

Carlos Alcaraz warned how a packed schedule could have serious consequences for players

Speaking after his Laver Cup victory over Ben Shelton, the 21-year-old said, “Probably they are going to kill us in some way.” Alcaraz, who has already played 50 singles matches this year, acknowledged that the tight schedule impacts both physical and mental well-being. “Right now, a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that,” he said, referring to injuries caused by overburn. He admitted that the calendar has also tested his motivation. “Sometimes, you don’t want to go to a tournament. I’m not going to lie — I have felt this way a few times already,” Alcaraz added.

The Spaniard’s demanding year has included highlights like his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, but it also exposed cracks in his preparation. Reflecting on his early exit at the US Open, Alcaraz admitted he underestimated the need for rest following the Olympics, where he lost a grueling gold medal match to Novak Djokovic. “I thought it was enough. Probably it wasn’t enough,” he said. Alcaraz, who also earned a silver medal in Paris, acknowledged the need to “think about it and learn about it” moving forward.

Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz’s teammate at the Laver Cup, echoed his concerns about the calendar’s toll on players. “The ATP doesn’t care about our opinion, it’s a money business,” Zverev said bluntly. The German criticized the sport’s “unnecessarily long” season, calling it the longest in professional sports. He also highlighted the lack of player control over their schedules. “We’re not allowed to boycott, we get fined if we don’t play tournaments,” Zverev explained.

Both players face packed schedules ahead, with their seasons stretching until the Davis Cup Finals in November. Zverev stressed the need for a solution to ease the burden on players, even as he acknowledged that fixing the issue wouldn’t be easy.