World number three Carlos Alcaraz has criticised the overloaded tennis calendar, saying “they are going to kill us one way or another”.
The 21-year-old spoke about the subject after beating American Ben Shelton in the Laver Cup, the Spaniard’s 14th tournament of the year.
Alcaraz has won two Grand Slam tournaments this year, winning the French Open and Wimbledon, while he also claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.
He suffered a surprise defeat in the second round against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open in August, losing in three sets.
“They’re probably going to kill us one way or another,” Alcaraz said.
“Right now, a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of this injury.”
The Laver Cup is contested between Team Europe and Team World, and this year’s competition is taking place in Berlin.
Alcaraz had played 50 singles matches in 2024 before the event, winning 41 and losing nine.
The four-time Grand Slam winner said he sometimes struggles to motivate himself due to the amount of tennis in his schedule.
“Sometimes you don’t want to go to a tournament,” he said. “I’m not going to lie, I’ve felt that way a few times.
“Sometimes I don’t feel motivated at all. But as I’ve said many times, I play my best tennis when I’m smiling and having fun on the court. That’s the best option to stay motivated.”
