Carlos Alcaraz is safely into the third round of the US Open, much to the delight of his loyal followers.
The ATP Tour are among that group, with a lengthy run from the Spanish superstar usually working in their favor.
But Alcaraz has just made an honest assessment after his latest US Open triumph that will really worry the powers that be.
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Carlos Alcaraz’s plans to miss tournaments will worry the ATP Tour
Speaking after his second round victory over Jaime Faria in New York, he openly admitted: “I took more [time out] than I wanted.
“Seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don’t want to have this break because of an injury. But in the future, I’m going to take some breaks… some long breaks.
“Maybe not four months, but one month, two months… start missing some tournaments because it’s impossible to play them all.
“They’re adding more important tournaments… there are some massive 1000s, Grand Slams, and we have been out playing 40 weeks if we play every mandatory tournament the ATP requires us to play.
“It’s impossible. We’re seeing a lot of players getting injured, a lot of players getting tired. If they don’t do anything about it, we’re going to see it even more in the future.”
What would you consider a success for Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open?
He hasn’t played since April…
Alcaraz’s comments will likely have taken the ATP by surprise, but at the same time they could perhaps have been expected given his injury issues.
He has only just returned for the first time since April, having been sidelined for the majority of the season with a wrist problem.
And it certainly isn’t his first criticism of the schedule, with Alcaraz claiming the ATP were really hurting players with the calendar back in 2024.
He’s clearly now adamant on backing up that feeling by skipping tournaments, which is the last thing the ATP will want.
Alcaraz is a guaranteed ticket-seller, with his style and ability constantly attracting huge volumes of fans wherever he goes.
His profile and likability is also a hugely marketable asset, with the seven-time Grand Slam champion often the perfect face to promote a tournament.
The same can be said of his fellow superstar and fierce rival Jannik Sinner, who has followed Alcaraz’s French Open and Wimbledon withdrawals by missing the US Open.
And that is a situation that may just enforce real change in the ATP calendar, with men’s tennis having experienced a drastic downfall regarding that pair.
Remarkably, Alcaraz and Sinner went from claiming all eight Grand Slam titles across 2024 and 2025, to this year’s Australian Open representing the only 2026 major in which they both took part.
If that doesn’t at least spark a schedule conversation then nothing will, with injuries and fatigue clearly impacting the sport now more than ever.
For added worry, the likes of Casper Ruud and Jack Draper were also forced to withdraw from the US Open, while WTA stars Emma Raducanu and Victoria Mboko were ruled out too.
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