Carlos Alcaraz has been criticised for one aspect of his game (Image: Getty)
Former world No 7 Andrea Petkovic has criticised Carlos Alcaraz for his supposed inability to adapt when things aren’t going his way. The Spaniard is one of the Next Gen talents taking over tennis after the reigns of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and compatriot Rafael Nadal, but Petkovic believes he has one considerable hole in his game.
Alcaraz, 21, won both Wimbledon and the French Open in a breakout 2024, and the 2025 season is around the corner as this year’s Australian Open moves within sight. That doubled his major title tally to four and cemented Alcaraz’s place as one of the stars set to thrive, with Nadal now retired and Djokovic possibly not far behind.
However, Petkovic identified the alleged flaw she feels makes Alcaraz inferior compared to some of his peers. And it could give the likes of Jannik Sinner or Alexander Zverev the edge in their budding rivalries.
“The only problem I see with Carlos is that he doesn’t have a plan B, and that’s something very necessary which his rivals do possess,” she said on ‘The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’. “Sinner, Djokovic, or Zverev know how to play differently depending on their feelings; I would even say [Taylor] Fritz has that alternative plan.
“What happens with him is that when he’s at his highest level, he’s the best player in the world, but when he’s off his game, his tennis is horrendous. He becomes disorganised, makes many mistakes, can’t rally from the baseline, and commits double faults.”
Petkovic reiterated her point, saying, “When Carlos is bad, he’s f*****g horrendous.” She used countryman Nadal as an example of a player who consistently reverted to pinning opponents on their baseline and forcing them to “destruct” as a backup plan.
Alcaraz made a shock second-round exit in last year’s US Open (Image: Getty)
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Alcaraz was a surprise second-round departure from the 2024 US Open after he lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets. And the last major of the year was seemingly fresh in Petkovic’s mind when assessing his performance levels.
That also marked the first Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon 2022, in which Alcaraz had failed to advance to at least the quarter-final. However, that streak seemingly wasn’t enough to convince them of his ability when things weren’t going his way.
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It’s also worth noting Alcaraz’s three Grand Slam exits during that span came against Djokovic, Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, each of whom were seeded sixth or higher at the time. And there are few who could begrudge a player giving up results to such a highlight reel of talent.
Sinner, 23, was the other player to win two major titles in 2024 after adding the Australian Open and US Open crowns to his collection. The Italian also won the ATP Finals in Turin and looks poised to become Alcaraz’s main rival for the major honours in the years to come.
