After a lengthy five-month wait, Carlos Alcaraz finally returned to competitive tennis at the US Open.
Alcaraz played the mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams, as they beat Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe and then lost to Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic.
The Spaniard will now prepare for the US Open main draw, but many have questioned the world No 2’s decision to play doubles after such a long time away.
Many have criticised Alcaraz’s decision to play the US Open Mixed Doubles alongside Williams, but Konta doesn’t understand why a section of tennis fans are calling out the Spaniard.
Some have said that they expect Alcaraz to withdraw from the US Open main draw following the doubles, and he is only playing the event for his sponsors.
More Carlos Alcaraz news
Speaking to Eurosport, Konta said: “To be fair, I think that nowadays drama is an important part of a player’s personal brand . I think generating hype, creating interest, is part of building an image. So I don’t see anything wrong with analysing it from that perspective.
“And if in the end he only plays the mixed doubles and still creates all this hype, that’s perfectly fine by me. “What’s happening with Alcaraz is that I get the feeling he plays without inhibitions.
“And by that I mean we’re talking about a player who’s on his way to challenging the greats in terms of numbers and achievements, especially considering his age and where he is in his career.
“However, when he’s on the court, he plays with so much joy and, from an outsider’s perspective, with an enormous sense of freedom. That’s why I sincerely believe he may have come simply because he loves to play and wants to play. So what?
“Does it really matter if he can’t yet show his best form? Does it really matter? I think he has a very healthy perspective on where he is in his career and how much time he has left.
“I don’t get the sense that he feels pressured to reach certain milestones or to prove a certain level. Honestly, I think he’s simply happy and eager to get back. And that’s why he wants to play: because he feels ready. And why not? That’s how I see it.
“And every time I’ve seen him on the court, he conveys exactly that to me: someone who plays without any constraints. I think that fits perfectly with his personality and the image we’ve seen of him . His decision to play seems consistent with who he is.”
Alcaraz certainly looked different in his doubles matches with Williams, but that is to be expected of a star who has missed so much of the season.
The star’s serve is certainly slower and there were moments in his matches where Williams looked to be carrying the team.
Nevertheless, the seven-time Grand Slam champion still has four days to prepare for the US Open and he has showed no signs of withdrawing from the Grand Slam yet.
