Carlos Alcaraz has broken his silence on reports claiming that he sometimes feels a lack of motivation in matches. The claims arose after the Spaniard fell to a shock 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 defeat to Sebastian Korda in the third round of the Miami Open.
The Sunshine Swing did not go according to plan for Alcaraz, as he suffered his first defeat of the year at the Indian Wells semifinals before suffering an early exit in Miami.
Carlos Alcaraz Rubbishes Claims of Lack of Motivation After Early Miami Open Exit
Questions arose after his defeat to Korda in Miami, with Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka’s former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, suggesting that he looked “bored” on the court.
Alcaraz also vented his frustration towards his box during his loss to Korda, saying, “I can’t take it anymore, I want to go home now.”
The world No. 2 has now opened up about the situation, refuting claims that he lacked motivation to win at the Miami Open.
“It’s stressful, because you have to think about what you do and when you do it and where you are all the time. But as a person, we have good days and bad days, we wake up sometimes not wanting to do anything, but we still have to show up, and sometimes we don’t react in the way we should,” he said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Alcaraz also spoke about not wanting to become a “slave to tennis,” prioritizing the sport to the point of not having time to focus on other things.
“I’m aware that I have so much ahead of me, and I try not to think that I have 12 or 15 years left of my career because I get overwhelmed. I know I’m living a dream life, a life I dreamed of. But I sometimes wish I could have more moments for myself, to do things a 22-year-old guy would do,” he added.
Alcaraz refused to delve into his private life, but spoke about the importance of taking breaks from the grueling, unrelenting tennis calendar for both his mental and physical health.
After the 23-year-old’s early exit from the Miami Open, he made the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to rival Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz then entered the Barcelona Open, but suffered a wrist injury and has been sidelined since. He will be forced to miss his French Open title defense as a result.
