Carlos Alcaraz may have lost a bit of motivation, according to Grand Slam legend Boris Becker, although he has no long-term concerns about the Spaniard.
Alcaraz had a stunning 2022, winning his first major at the US Open and then ending the year as number one in the world rankings, all while still a teenager.
Last season proved more difficult for Alcaraz to maintain that trajectory, mainly due to the stunning form of Novak Djokovic.
He still won Wimbledon and kept himself in the top two of the world rankings, but Becker thinks Alcaraz has had a few difficulties with motivation in 2023, albeit nothing that doesn’t happen to most players at a similar age.
He also backed coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to kept Alcaraz firmly on the right track.
Boris Becker – Roland Garros 2016 and Carlos Alcaraz – Shanghai Masters 2023
December 24, 2023 ATP Tennis Players, Carlos Alcaraz, Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz ‘lacking motivation,’ claims Boris Becker
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Carlos Alcaraz may have lost a bit of motivation, according to Grand Slam legend Boris Becker, although he has no long-term concerns about the Spaniard.
Alcaraz had a stunning 2022, winning his first major at the US Open and then ending the year as number one in the world rankings, all while still a teenager.
Last season proved more difficult for Alcaraz to maintain that trajectory, mainly due to the stunning form of Novak Djokovic.
He still won Wimbledon and kept himself in the top two of the world rankings, but Becker thinks Alcaraz has had a few difficulties with motivation in 2023, albeit nothing that doesn’t happen to most players at a similar age.
He also backed coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to kept Alcaraz firmly on the right track.
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“My feeling has always been that when motivation goes down, the body suffers,” Becker told Punto de Break.
“If you skip some training sessions, the chances of getting injured or suffering physical discomfort are much greater.
“That’s what happened to me when I was 20 and I think it is the case of Alcaraz as well. It seems logical to me for a young man who is so successful, it has happened to everyone.
“I know that Juan Carlos has recognized certain difficulties in keeping Carlitos in his best shape throughout the year, but I am convinced that the two of them will be able to correct that.”
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Carlos Alcaraz tipped for Roland Garros win
Despite perhaps not being at his best in 2023, Alcaraz still became a multi-surface Grand Slam winner when he won Wimbledon.
The leaves just the clay of Roland Garros to conquer before he has a major on all three surfaces, and Alex Corretja believes that will be a key target for Alcaraz in 2024.
“To me, winning a Grand Slam would make it a very good season,” Corretja said. “I think that this year, for example, Roland Garros is going to be a very big goal for him.
“After what happened last year, I think he will manage it differently. He will have less anxiety and he’ll be wanting to get to Paris to win, because he knows that it is a very long Grand Slam.
“I’ve said it a long time ago, I think Alcaraz is going to win all the Grand Slams on all surfaces, even the Masters.
“I think he is going to be a player who is going to win all the titles practically possible and it is because of the way he plays, his ambition, and his character. I think his tennis is very high. So it seems to me that Alcaraz is destined to be one of the special ones.”
