Carlos Alcaraz Admits to Self-Criticism Despite Extending Grand Slam Record at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz is on a streak! He defeated Arthur Rinderknech with a scoreline of 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. And this is the Spaniard’s fourth consecutive straight sets win in the 2025 US Open. It shows Alcaraz’s consistency and skill. But it’s worth noting that he has made history by reaching the quarterfinals in all four Grand Slams in a year for the very first time in his career. He has become synonymous with consistency by making it to the quarterfinal match of a Grand Slam for the 12th time. But does the tennis world look down upon this sort of consistency from Alcaraz? 

This question was posed to Carlos Alcaraz during his post-match press conference. As he prepared himself for the battle against Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinal of the 2025 US Open, Alcaraz claimed, “Well, yeah, probably a lot of people have talked about that I am not as consistency as I should be. But at the same times, those stats are really great to know for me just to see that, you know, I’m making really good results in the really good tournaments.”

He continued, “Obviously, sometimes, I’m really hard with myself that the quarterfinal is not enough, semifinal is not enough sometimes. But you have to see more than the results.” Of course, getting to the semifinal or quarterfinal of a Grand Slam is a result that many players strive for. But is it enough? Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t really feel so. And winning a Grand Slam event is a feat much stronger than simply getting to the semifinal or quarterfinal of the events.  

For now, the Spanish star has five Grand Slam titles under his belt. And the number is going one notch higher if he wins this US Open. Alcaraz has certainly shown improvements by developing a stronger serve, stylish returns, and disguised drop shots. We did get to see an unorthodox return (from behind his back) in his match against Rinderknech. Nevertheless, the path to better consistency still goes on. Alcaraz said, “And I’ve been talking a lot of about I should be better, you know, consistency, playing much better, the matches, or whatever. So, that’s why a lot of people have talked about it as well.” 

Not too long ago, during a conversation with Eurosport, the seven-time Grand Slam champion, Mats Wilander, weighed in on the Spaniard’s consistency troubles. He said, “He will produce miracles at times, and those miracles will help him win matches, but at other times, the miracles will not result in victory.” Wilander highlighted that an elite player like Alcaraz shouldn’t have lost against Jack Draper at Indian Wells.

With such criticism coming his way, Carlos Alcaraz might get overwhelmed. After all, criticism as strong as Wilander’s can have a negative impact on a player’s game. But the Spaniard isn’t just any other player. He’s a former No.1 and possibly a future No.1 as well. So, what does he think of such criticism? 

Carlos Alcaraz opens up on the impact of criticism on his life

During his battle against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz desperately tried to find a rhythm to his performance. Unfortunately, he failed and had to face defeat. But the tennis community began speculating if there was something going on, and Alcaraz did not like it. But it’s a part of the game, and Alcaraz had to learn to accept the criticism. 

During a conversation with La Gazetta, the #2 ATP star said, “I try not to think about it too much, because there was a time when I was really influenced by criticism, and that was a very difficult time. So now I try not to give too much weight to certain words that are said. Over the years, I’ve realized that every small step counts and that you can learn even from defeats. You don’t have to be a star every day; the important thing is to be consistent and strive to improve. Always.”

With the determination to win, we can say that Carlos Alcaraz has changed a lot. But can he win the US Open this time?

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