Carlos Alcaraz should stop complaining about scheduling issues and make bold decisions on the tournaments he wants to play.
That’s the verdict of former world No 4 Greg Rusedski, who has suggested Alcaraz has more than enough money in his bank to take control of his schedule and skip events he doesn’t want to play.
Alcaraz has hinted that he is not a fan of ATP 1000 tournaments that are played over an extended 12-day period and there were suggestions that he was not committing to all his media duties at this week’s Shanghai event in what was seen as a ‘mini protest’.
ATP 1000 tournaments are ‘mandatory’ events for the top players and that means they don’t get appearance fees to play, but the story was different last week as Alcaraz would have collected a big guaranteed fee just to play in the Japan Open.
That big appearance payment and the prize money he won for winning the title in Tokyo made that a much more lucrative week for Alcaraz than his brief stay in Shanghai, which ended when he lost to Belgium’s Zizous Bergs.
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Now Rusedski has urged Alcaraz to step back from events he doesn’t enjoy playing in, even if it means he loses money in the end-of-season ATP bonus pool, which offers extra cash to players who play in all the marquee ATP 1000 tournaments.
“He has the choice whether he wants to play or not, but he doesn’t get the bonus pool money,” said Rusedski on his podcast.
“Don’t worry about the prize money, Carlos. You’ve got enough money. That’s not the problem. It’s more about the ranking, but it’s also about scheduling correctly as well.
“Since the US Open, he played Laver Cup, big money there, big money to play in Tokyo. And then he had to play Shanghai. So it’s trying that combination.
“You have the choice to play the 500, to play Laver Cup, or to take those weeks off and prepare for Shanghai. So again, it comes down to scheduling and what’s important in the calendar.
“You don’t always have to take the appearance money. You can find a way around the schedule. I mean, last year I think he made $60 million (including sponsorship). I mean, that’s enough for a lifetime. So I think he’s okay. So let’s just get the balance right.”
Rusedski went on to suggest Alcaraz could learn from tennis great Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as he finalised his schedule for 2027, as he suggested they provided the gol standard for scheduling.
He also believed his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s experience of being on the tour and managing a schedule may have been useful to Alcaraz now.
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“Federer, throughout his career, played 12 events a year. He won seven of them, and his ranking was one or two, and he was winning majors,” he added. “So for Carlos, play less. It’s as simple as that.
“Don’t worry about the mandatory events and sometimes take the fines or loss of points and find a balance. But this is where someone with experience, like Juan Carlos Ferrero, for example, has more experience than Sammy Lopez.
“Sammy Lopez has done a great job, no question about it. But he hasn’t lived that experience of being a Grand Slam champion or being No 1, as Juan Carlos was.
“It’s all about getting that balance of preparation just right, especially when you’re at the very, very top of the tree. Novak Djokovic has done the same in his career. He has always got his schedule right.
“Carlos is such a big name that it doesn’t matter what his ranking is, and whether he loses money here or he loses certain points. So find the scheduling that works for you and makes you happy.
“The better you feel, the better you’re going to play, the better your schedule, the better your results. It’s easier said than done when people are throwing millions of dollars for you to play every week, but Carlos has to find the balance now.
“If it means not playing Laver Cup or an ATP 500, then he has to skip those events.”
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