Carlos Alcaraz had a bitter-sweet season in 2024. A rollercoaster as one might say. He added two more Majors to his already glittering resume but, couldn’t stay consistent in the year’s second half. Carlitos countered resistance trying to keep up with the hectic tour calendar while producing noteworthy results and staying healthy. But will schedule be a problem for the Spaniard in 2025 as well? An ex American pro has the answer.
According to former American player Steve Johnson, the Spanish sensation won’t have to endure calendar troubles much longer. Unlike his childhood idol, Rafael Nadal, young Carlitos refrains from participating in every ATP 1000 Masters event. Instead, he is focused on advancing his agenda solely on the Grand Slam stage. Logic dictates that his no-show at lower-ranked tournaments can help him avoid physical burnout, something that Rafa couldn’t do, which, ultimately, plagued his career following a series of career-threatening injuries.
During an episode of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast, Johnson said, “Looking back at Rafael Nadal’s career, someone I’m sure he looked up to quite a bit, he played every tournament and won every Masters series forever but was hurt a lot. I feel like Carlos is doing his schedule strictly to win Slams. He is missing Masters series, he skipped Madrid, or he’s not playing Montreal or whatever, I think his only goal is to win Slams. Maybe I am wrong on that but that is what it feels like his schedule is doing.”
