Alcaraz receives warning ahead of match against Djokovic

Tennis legend Boris Becker believes Carlos Alcaraz sometimes loses motivation, leading to poor physical condition at the end of each season.

"Physical strength is sometimes affected by motivation. That happened to me and probably also to Alcaraz at this age," coach Becker said about the world number two in an interview on December 23.

Alcaraz shakes hands with Medvedev after losing to his opponent in the 2023 US Open semi-finals. Photo: ATP

According to the German legend, maintaining constant motivation in your twenties is not easy for players who have achieved success early. Like Alcaraz, Becker won Grand Slams as a teenager. He won Wimbledon twice in a row in 1985 and 1986 before his 20th birthday. But it took Becker another three years to win another Grand Slam, at Wimbledon and the 1989 US Open.

"Keeping his body in shape all year long is a challenge for Alcaraz," added Becker, who coaches Holger Rune. "I believe his team can overcome that. I saw signs of improvement when Alcaraz played at the ATP Finals. Physically at this age, it's easy to improve, but they just want to build muscle in the upper or lower body."

Alcaraz has won six titles and is ranked second in the world in 2023. He won Wimbledon by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, but has not won a title in the second half of the season. In 2024, the Spaniard will start early in Australia, an event he missed last year due to injury.

Before heading to Australia, Alcaraz will play an exhibition match against Djokovic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 27. In the 2023 season, Alcaraz lost to Djokovic three times in the semifinals of Roland Garros, the final of the Cincinnati Masters and the semifinals of the ATP Finals.

Vy Anh

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