feature-image

Reuters

feature-image

Reuters

Carlos Alcaraz’s season is getting better and better! The Spaniard won his fourth title this season, defeating Alexander Zverev in a lop-sided final at the Madrid Open 2022. Alcaraz, who turned 19 last week, is becoming a player to beat this season with his audacious displays on the tennis court. As a cherry on the cake, Alcaraz rose three spots on the ATP rankings chart after his Madrid Open victory. He is currently in the sixth position in the ATP rankings.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Watch What’s Trending Now!

ADVERTISEMENT

On the other hand, it was a difficult loss to digest for Alexander Zverev. Moreover, he had to dig deep to enter the finals of the tournament in the Spanish capital. After his summit clash defeat, he opened up about the scheduling of his matches.

DIVE DEEPER: ‘Everyone Is Deserving of Care’ – Venus Williams Pays Emotional Homage to Her Sister as She Steps Up Her Fight to Equal Pay

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Alexander Zverev blasts the ATP for poor scheduling

The German tennis star had his sleep schedule affected last week after playing his matches late in the evening. Slamming the ATP for making his job difficult, he said, “Alcaraz is playing amazing, no doubt about it, but one thing I have to say is that the ATP’s job was an absolute disgrace this week. Two days ago I went to bed at 4:00, 4:30 a.m. Yesterday I went to bed at 5:20 a.m.”

A day before the finals, Zverev was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Their match began late in the evening and Zverev had to fight for just under two hours to prevail over Tsitsipas. However, Alcaraz had a much more favorable schedule, with his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic commencing in the afternoon.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carlos Alcaraz to skip the Italian Open

The Madrid Open champion will miss this week’s Italian Masters tournament to recover from a minor ankle injury ahead of the French Open later this month.

ADVERTISEMENT

article-image

Reuters

Talking about his injury, he said, “Due to the fall that I had with Rafa, the ankle, I had a problem, and this morning it was a little more swollen. And also I had a blister in my feet which was a little bit infected, and it’s been a little bit tough start of the day. It was difficult for me to walk.”

ADVERTISEMENT

WATCH THIS STORY: The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis

However, Alcaraz will be determined to get back fit in time for the French Open. He will aim for his maiden Grand Slam title later this month in Paris. Alcaraz will be one of the favorites for the tournament, given the prime form he’s been in this season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Vatsal Shah

3,705 Articles

Vatsal Shah is a tennis journalist at EssentiallySports, covering ATP and WTA storylines from the ES Trends Desk since 2023. He delivers breaking insights on major tournaments and player arcs, decoding tactical shifts and viral moments into accessible takeaways for fans worldwide. His coverage of Taylor Townsend’s Dubai title win stood out for capturing both the emotional significance of her victory and the context of her comeback.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Ajinkya Aswale

ADVERTISEMENT