Patrick Mouratoglou Wrongly Compares Carlos Alcaraz to Novak Djokovic While Highlighting The Spaniard’s Cramping Problems

Carlos Alcaraz has established himself as one of the most physical players in the league. While this poses a huge psychological advantage, such physicality has certain drawbacks. Throughout his young career, Alcaraz has dealt with injuries, especially cramping. According to Patrick Mouratoglou, he could take a page out of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic’s book and not participate in as many tournaments.

Mouratoglou often uses his social media to discuss the topics of the ATP and WTA Tours. Alcaraz’s injury-riddled career was the latest topic addressed on Instagram. First, the popular tennis coach highlighted how the Spaniard’s straight-sets losses at the US Open 2024 were only a “half surprise” to him.

The Frenchman justified himself by claiming that the four-time Grand Slam winner’s cramping issues were the main reason behind the same.

Serena Williams’ former coach further compared the youngster to the likes of the Big 3 and stated that the legends didn’t face the same issue because of the constant physical and mental breaks they would take from the hectic schedule.

“If you look at Roger, Rafa, & Novak, have you seen them cramp once in a match? All their careers? He cramped many times already, only at 20. He’s an emotional player. So I think that knowing that, in the future, they will have to think of a calendar where he has enough rest—mental rest, not physical rest—mental rest. I think it is very important for his future.” Mouratoglou said.

Despite being part of the tennis community for over two decades, the 54-year-old’s take on the subject is slightly inaccurate. Adding Djokovic to his argument doesn’t make sense.

The former World No.1 struggled with fitness issues during his initial days on the Tour. His biggest loss came from cramps in the Australian Open 2009 quarterfinals against Andy Roddick when the Melbourne heat got the better of him. This denied Djokovic a chance to defend his 2008 title.

In all, Djokovic has conceded 13 walkovers, and the majority of them came before the 2010 season. Other infamous instances include lower back pain, which forced him to quit against Rafael Nadal in their 2006 French Open quarterfinal clash. In the 2008 Monte Carlo Masters semifinal against Roger Federer, Djokovic suffered from breathlessness and a sore throat.

Interestingly, Djokovic had just one Grand Slam to his name until he turned 23 in 2010. That year, he decided to switch his diet to a gluten-free one, and seeing his success after that made him conscious of his food choices forever.

Today, players like Alcaraz are adopting Djokovic’s approach to being fit. So the Spaniard at the same age is doing just fine. Fans called out Mouratoglou for his assessment.

Despite Mouratoglou’s suggestions, Alcaraz is set to participate in the Davis Cup 2024 and will partake in numerous tournaments before the 2024 season ends.

Alcaraz has a busy schedule ahead

After a shocking loss at the US Open 2024, Carlos Alcaraz was expected to take time off the game. However, he soon began practicing for the Davis Cup 2024. He’s even led the Spanish team to a spot in the quarterfinals after clinching wins over Czechia and France.

Apart from participating in the November knockout stage of the Davis Cup 2024, Alcaraz has also committed to play the Laver Cup 2024 in the final week of September.

Additionally, tennis enthusiasts can expect the youngster to play in the remaining two ATP Masters 1000 – the Shanghai Open & the Paris Open. Finally, Alcaraz will probably conclude the 2024 season by qualifying for the ATP Finals 2024.

He’s not even taking time off in the break. As recently revealed by the organizing team, the El Palmar native will return to New York when participating in the Garden Cup exhibition tournament on December 4^th at the Madison Square Garden.