Carlos Alcaraz‘s scintillating return to tennis at the US Open has dominated headlines. The Spaniard had a decent start, reaching the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Ben Shelton in a five-set thriller. But his surprising decision to snub the Davis Cup for the Laver Cup has left many surprised. However, prominent tennis coach Rick Macci has defended his decision while highlighting how grueling his recent US Open campaign was.

“Playing Laver Cup was beyond brilliant for the Spanish Magician coming off 139 days of inactivity from combat and all the bells whistles and midnight drama and trauma at the U.S.WIDE OPEN,” he wrote on X. “This is just what the doctor ordered to get more matches singles and doubles and be back in the mix with other players and feel and share the grind.”

By midnight drama, Macci is referring to the absurd timings at which some of the matches finished at Flushing Meadows this year. In particular, Alcaraz’s clash against Shelton was the latest finish in the tournament’s history, ending at 3:33 AM. It surpassed the previous record from the 2022 edition, when Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s five-setter quarterfinal went on till 2:50 AM.

It’s not a surprise that Alcaraz wants new rules to be introduced regarding the timings at the US Open. He feels that there should be a time limit within which all matches should be concluded.

“I think it’s too much,” he told the BBC. “The last match people stayed, but if that match was played earlier, the court could have been packed. I would like to change the schedule a little, with a maximum finish at 11pm or whatever would be better.”

This is an issue that doesn’t just affect players, but the fans as well. They are often left choosing between staying until the end or leaving early to get home at a reasonable hour. For players, recovery is the biggest concern, as the physical toll increases substantially after a long and grueling match.

After departing from the US Open following the exhausting clash against Shelton, Alcaraz made his return to the court at the Laver Cup. He is representing Team Europe alongside some of the world’s highest-ranked players, and they are playing against Team World.

Team Europe got off to a strong start on the first day of the event. Casper Ruud defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-7, 6-4, 10-8. Brandon Nakashima opened Team World’s win account by triumphing 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 against Jakub Mensik. Rafael Jodar got Team Europe their second win of the day as he defeated Alexander Bublik 6-2, 6-3. The final match of the day was a doubles encounter, and it saw Alcaraz take the court at the O2 Arena.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jakub Mensik recorded a straight-set doubles victory at the Laver Cup

Alcaraz and Mensik locked horns against Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik. Though the match appeared to be tight on a few occasions, two breaks of serve were enough to settle the contest in favor of Team Europe.

Alcaraz and Mensik triumphed 6-4, 6-4, handing Team Europe their third win of the event and ending the opening day on a high. Though Fritz and Bublik did create five break-point opportunities, they weren’t able to convert any of them. On the other hand, Alcaraz and Mensik clinched two of the four break points they created during the clash.

After winning the doubles clash alongside Mensik, Alcaraz will be back in singles action on Saturday. He will be taking on Fritz in what is expected to be a close affair.

The second day of the Laver Cup will also see Flavio Cobolli take on Learner Tien, and Alexander Zverev clash against Alex de Minaur. The day’s final encounter will see the duo of Zverev and Ruud face Nakashima and Bublik.