The vagueness is intentional, and he explained it. “Tennis can be so unpredictable because you don’t know how many matches you’re going to win if the tournaments are one or seven matches. It depends on how I feel physically, how I feel mentally, if I need long breaks at the beginning, middle or end of the year.”
On Wednesday, the same policy happened with the numbers attached, but without any reason outside of the schedule. “I’m going to take some breaks in the future, some long breaks,” he said after beating Portugal’s Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round.
If they don’t do anything about it, we will see more in the future.
“Maybe not four months, but a month, two months, missing some tournaments because it’s impossible to play them all.” He made 40 weeks of tennis mandatory for anyone who plays anything the ATP requires, and pointed to players who weren’t in New York at all; Giannick Sinner, Jack Draper, Holger Rooney and Joao Fonseca. “If they don’t do anything about it, we’re going to see more of it in the future.”
He speaks from the inside of the problem. The wrist injury he suffered in April cost him four-and-a-half months, and he’s back to defend the title, not get it. The consequences are manifested in small places. The golf he plays is off the season calendar. His days in this tournament have recovered more between matches than anything else. “On those days, whether I’m practicing or not, I try to keep my cool and focus on the next round,” he said. “So golf is not an option this year.”
On Sunday, he made the connection between missing tournaments and the decade or more the sport has already seen the game play out. Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Murray claimed the young players simply read the evidence. “These young guys have seen how Roger and Rafael extended their careers, how they ended their careers. If they want to play until they’re 34, 35, 36, they’re probably going to have to miss tournaments and that’s something the Tour has to consider.”
Alcaraz plays American No. 8 Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals, three wins away from a third straight US Open title.
