Tennis insider Benoit Maylin criticized Carlos Alcaraz over his public complaints about the ATP schedule, accusing the Spaniard of acting entitled and calling for him to change his attitude.
Alcaraz was last seen at the Shanghai Masters, where he suffered a surprising straight-set defeat to unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs in the round of 32 on Oct. 12. The loss came shortly after the Spaniard won the Japan Open in Tokyo, but he struggled to find his rhythm on Shanghai’s courts.
During the match, Alcaraz expressed frustration with the playing conditions, complaining about the balls and the court surface. He claimed the balls bounced inconsistently and behaved differently from those used in his previous matches. Ahead of the tournament, he had also criticized the ATP schedule, arguing that the governing body was pushing players too hard and that the calendar was moving in the wrong direction.
Maylin subsequently took aim at Alcaraz’s remarks, accusing the seven-time Grand Slam champion of complaining too much during a conversation at Sans Filet. Although he said he admired the Spaniard, the insider argued that Alcaraz needed to take a step back and accept criticism like other players.
“Carlitos’ a real whiner, and he needs to calm down a bit. And I like him, I love Carlitos, mind you, but I think he’s got a huge ego. He wants to dictate his schedule exactly how he wants, and the balls are out of whack. One day it’s good, the next it’s not. He’s gone off the rails. I’m going to forget this match, which was rubbish from him. Four winners for Alcaraz, what a joke! Of course, Zizou (Bergs) played very well, but Alcaraz needs to calm down. I don’t see why we criticize other players as soon as they start doing things like that, and not him. I’m criticizing him; he behaved like a spoiled brat who, I think, believes he’s invincible,” the insider said.
He added:
“He wins Tokyo, he arrives in Shanghai saying, ‘I’m the best.’ Everyone dreams of being Carlitos.” “It’s completely crazy what’s going on around Alcaraz. You can lose it, I accept that here, but he’s going to have to go back to being the Carlos Alcaraz we had before, the one who has fun and not the one who whines.”
Alcaraz returned to competition at the US Open after a four-month break due to a wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April, before winning the Japan Open in Tokyo and then competing at the Shanghai Masters.
What did Carlos Alcaraz say about the ATP schedule before the Shanghai Masters?
During an interview ahead of the Shanghai Masters, Carlos Alcaraz called on ATP officials to consider the impact of the demanding calendar on players’ health. He argued that the tour was asking players to compete in too many tournaments and matches, increasing concerns about injuries.
The Spaniard also expressed his support for Jannik Sinner, who withdrew from the Shanghai Masters because of a knee injury.
“One of the reasons we had to see the players who are getting injured, they [ATP officials] are pushing us too much out of the line sometimes to play a lot of tournaments, to play a lot of matches,” Alcaraz said.
He added:
“It’s getting in the wrong direction. I just wish Jannik the best for these months, just to be in good shape for the next season. Hopefully see him soon, but they have to see a little bit what’s going on on the tour along with the players.”
Carlos Alcaraz is expected to compete next at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, scheduled to take place from Saturday to Nov. 1.
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