Carlos Alcaraz pursues a 'crazy' end-of-season schedule: Carlitos' daring venture

24/09/2025 11:24:00 PANDATV

A smile remains on Carlos Alcaraz’s face despite Team Europe’s defeat at the Laver Cup, yet the question occupying the world No.1’s thoughts is what lies ahead, and this question has numerous answers.

At this same period last year, Alcaraz voiced worries about his motivation and eagerness to travel worldwide to compete in events that were somewhat less esteemed compared to his 2025 accomplishments.

The motivation and challenges of a demanding schedule

The four Grand Slam tournaments are the pillars of the tennis season, and when the US Open concludes in mid-September, the final weeks typically focus on chasing ranking points and prize money. Alcaraz’s ranking goal is to finish the year as world No.1, which will help him maintain focus after defeating major rival Jannik Sinner in the US Open final to claim the top spot.

However, questions can be raised about Alcaraz’s choice to engage in such a packed schedule after a year full of achievements. His victories at Roland Garros and the US Open were complemented by titles at ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati. The 22-year-old has played a high volume of matches this year, with 67 matches and 61 wins, leading both stats by a wide margin. Although his youthful body can handle these demands, last September he admitted lacking motivation for tournaments not on his priority list.

"Honestly, it’s very tough. I mean, sometimes I don’t feel motivated at all," he confessed after a summer that also included reaching the Olympic final in Paris. "This is a difficult period. As I’ve said many times, the schedule is too packed, too many tournaments, no rest days, or not as many as I would like. Sometimes I really want a few days off for myself, but I can’t because I have to train, travel, and deal with jet lag from going around the world."

Alcaraz plays quite intensively in the late season

"Sometimes you don’t want to enter tournaments, I’m not lying. I’ve felt that way a few times, the feeling of not wanting to go because I want to be home with family or friends," he continued. "But I have to find the motivation to participate and perform at my best in training and matches. I’m a businessman. I always want to win every match I play, but as I’ve said many times, my best tennis comes when I smile and enjoy being on court, and sometimes it’s hard to find that rhythm or good feeling."

"So, I want to focus on my team and family, trying to give my all in every practice, every match, to stay at the top of the rankings. I think that’s the best way to keep motivated."

A busy journey and attractive rewards

His comment about being a "businessman" will be fitting in the coming weeks as Alcaraz flies directly from the Laver Cup in San Francisco to Japan to compete in an ATP 500 event. He also has an ATP 1000 tournament in Shanghai planned, followed by some high-paying matches.

Alcaraz will be the center of attention at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, where he will compete for the largest cash prize in tennis. Afterward, he might participate in ATP 500 tournaments in Basel or Vienna, again with appealing prize money, before attending the ATP 1000 in Paris and the ATP Finals in Turin.

Next, he has signed up for an exhibition event in December, which also features Emma Raducanu, with an irresistible fee. Constant travel around the world may tire Alcaraz almost as much as the matches themselves, while his next major target is the Australian Open in Melbourne in January 2026, aiming to complete his Grand Slam career collection by winning all four majors.

Alcaraz may be young and passionate enough to pursue a schedule that could lead to exhaustion and injury, but balancing this is a challenge he must consider as he currently stands as the biggest name in tennis.

Who will Carlos Alcaraz face at the Japan Open?

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz will make his Japan Open debut against Sebastian Baez, whom he currently leads 2-0 in head-to-head matchups, in the first round, before facing either Zizou Bergs or Alejandro Tabilo in round two. If all goes as expected, Alcaraz will meet Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals and Casper Ruud in the semifinals.

Instead of competing in Beijing, where he reached the semifinals in 2023 and won the title in 2024 by defeating Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz has chosen to play in Tokyo. This will be his first appearance at this tournament.

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