Arguably one of the hardest hitters on the ATP, Carlos Alcaraz, has clarified one thing if not anything else. The Spanish talent is here to stay and dominate the tour with his envy-worth athleticism. He possesses aggressive and pace-adjusting tools in his arsenal that are effective against rivals, however, an American legend believes that might not be enough for one particular reason.

The 21-year-old endured a rollercoaster of a season that included notable triumphs, but also, hurdles along the way. After a fantastic summer where he clinched the French Open and defended his title at Wimbledon, his form took a major dip. The Spaniard couldn’t recover from the emotional wreck caused due to his gold medal match loss to Serbian Novak Djokovic at the Olympics. As a result, Alcaraz went down a losing streak and when frustrations boiled to the summit, he smashed his racket to bits for the first time at the US Open.

Though he later found his momentum and lifted the China Open in the process, it didn’t last long. He exited the ATP Finals in the round-robin elimination, whereas, his arch-rival Jannik Sinner proceeded to add more silverware to his resume. Regardless of abrupt inconsistency, Alcaraz’s formidability is hardly questioned, and American John McEnroe agrees. The ‘controversial’ ex-pro hoped on compatriot Andy Roddick’s podcast and explained why Alcaraz’s height is the only factor that could significantly dim his chances against those boasting a stronger height stat, helping them deliver deadlier serves.

He said, “This guy’s the greatest talent that I’ve seen in the last 20 years. The most pleasure to watch Carlos Alcaraz maybe than I’ve ever seen certainly at this age I worry only because he’s 6 feet and a half inches tall and that these other guys are going to drive him absolutely nuts. He’s going to play these guys that just serve out of a mountain and you know get frustrated.”

After enduring a somewhat torrid relationship with the much-lamented hectic touring calendar this year, Alcaraz expressed feeling drained after bowing out to Norwegian Casper Ruud in Turin.

Carlos Alcaraz vows to strengthen mental fortitude following bitter-sweet 2024 run

Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz wasn’t the only player to point out the extremely demanding tour-level calendar for the season. Top-tier players like Iga Swiatek and Stefanos Tsitsipas previously addressed the concern and when the Spaniard stumbled upon underwhelming results at the ATP Finals, he decided best to address his late-season fatigue.

While talking to the reporters in Turin, Alcaraz said: “I dare to say that every player is tired mentally. If someone says that he is fresh, he is lying. Some players deal with it better than others. I’m tired. I’m tired mentally. A lot of matches, really tight schedule, really demanding year with not too many days off, not too many period where you could rest. I think this year I’m much better than last year, but I have to find a way to perform and deliver good tennis when being tired mentally.”

Best believe, Alcaraz will take advantage of the ongoing offseason and utilize the time away from the court to recover for the next season. He will be next seen in action at the Australian hardcourt swing, slated to kick-off in January 2025.