Carlos Alcaraz is not having a good time at the ATP Finals. Seems like the season finale isn’t turning out as expected for the four-time Grand Slam champion. The former world no.1 is struggling to deliver the expected performance in Turin. But not all’s lost yet, according to a former WTA pro who’s shared a key observation on Carlos’ weakness.

For those unaware, Alcaraz lost his encounter against Casper Ruud on Monday. In what was touted to be a thrilling face-off, Ruud made it a one-way traffic. The Norwegian displayed a stunning performance against a struggling Carlos. The latter committed 34 unforced errors while having no answers to any of Ruud’s dominating strokes. The sixth seed eventually won 6-1, 7-5 in straight sets registering a thumping victory over the World No.3. Not to mention that it was his first-ever win over the Spaniard in their five meetings so far. Reflecting on Carlos’ defeat, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Subbs mentioned that he’s probably thinking too much. Simply put, he’s not channelizing the focus in a straight direction. Taking to her Threads account, Stubbs wrote, “Sometimes Carlos just doesn’t lock it down. He still has a tendency to go for a mental wander. Shots selections are questionable.”

Per Stubbs, it seems like Carlos Alcaraz is not able to make a decision on which shot to choose. As a result, he’s letting his opponents exploit this shortcoming on the court.

However, Rennae also believes that there’s a bright side waiting for Carlos. She wrote that he will likely end up winning many Grand Slams going forward. Only if he gets rid of his tendency to overthink. “Don’t worry though y’all he’s still incredible and will win many many majors but on these faster courts not getting free points on serve also hurts him,” said Stubbs.

Alcaraz is currently under pressure to give his best in the next game. On the other hand, he also needs to make sure his health remains steady. It’s because he was recently seen being in discomfort at the ATP Finals.

Carlos Alcaraz suffering from an annoying nasal congestion

Ahead of his maiden encounter in the event, the Spaniard was seen wearing a nasal strip for an hour on the practice court. It made his fans worried for the 21-year-old tennis sensation as he clearly didn’t seem to be fully fit due to a blocked nose. As of now, he is trying to recover as quickly as possible in order to put all his focus on advancing further in Turin.

Before the event, Carlos seemed pretty much prepared and confident. While sharing his approach and strategy in an official press conference ahead of the ATP Finals, dated November 8th, he said, “Last year was a difficult end of the year for me. I could not play at my best. The last two matches here were pretty good matches for me, but the previous two, three tournaments I didn’t play at my best, so I realized I had to change a little bit at this time of the year, which I did this year. I come here a little bit different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.”

Right now, things are definitely not moving smoothly for the four-time Grand Slam winner. It will be intriguing to see whether he can make a solid comeback – overcoming the current obstacles. Do you think Carlos will make a stunning return in his next match on Wednesday in Turin? Let us know in the comments.