Carlos Alcaraz has been very outspoken on his complaints for the gruelling nature of the ATP Tour, but not everyone has been in agreement with him.
Naomi Broady says she ‘loses sympathy’ with Alcaraz due to his decision to continue to play so many exhibition matches during and after the ATP Tour season.
Mark Philippoussis, meanwhile, suggested that Alcaraz could simply reject playing so many tournaments and accept the eventual fine that would come his way.
“No one has a gun to your head getting you to play all these weeks,” said the Australian. “You can always say no. Tennis, we all know there’s no offseason, and it’s a very difficult thing to balance the calendar. You gotta see what’s best for you.”
Now, legendary tennis coach Rick Macci has spoken in favour of Alcaraz’s recent comments, and backed him to continue playing exhibition matches.
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“Alcaraz needs match play and live combat so playing exhibitions is the smartest decision ever,” said Macci in a recent social media post.
“Besides the cheddar he can work on his game and get better. He will blend in ATP events, but exhibitions are controlled quicker and the time management element for the Magician just makes more sense.
“When Carlos chirped about the regular calendar that is a different discussion with so many more variables and logistics. He is playing the long game so his career lasts a long time.”
Alcaraz has played several exhibition matches over the last 12 months, and even recently, despite complaining about the hectic nature of the schedule.
The Spaniard played an exhibition match against Joao Fonseca in Miami in December 2025, while he and Jannik Sinner played each other in South Korea in January 2026.
Most recently, Alcaraz featured for Team Europe as they defeated Team World to claim the Laver Cup title at The O2 Arena in London.
Alcaraz is also expected to play the delayed Six Kings Slam later this year, which is now taking place in December.
That exhibition match will see the Spaniard face off against the likes of Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Learner Tien, and Alexander Zverev.
However, Alcaraz does not currently have any other exhibition matches lined up for the off-season, so perhaps he has been listening to the criticism from ex players and pundits.
Alcaraz explained why he continued to play so many exhibition matches back in 2025, stating: “For me, the biggest difference is that in a tournament you have to maintain concentration, and it is demanding both physically and mentally.
“An exhibition is only one day. You just have to keep your focus, warm up and train a little and only for one game. An exhibition can be interpreted in different ways.
“You can do it just for fun, play good tennis, good blows and have fun. Or you can take it very seriously and use tactics and patterns to replicate them in tournaments. I will try to take these games seriously, but at the same time have as much fun as possible.”
