Carlos Alcaraz ‘a bit worn out’ as former world No 2 reacts to Spaniard’s ‘want to go home’ comment
It is natural for Carlos Alcaraz to feel “overwhelmed” and “exhausted” following his brilliant start to the 2026 season, according to two-time Grand Slam finalist Alex Corretja.
Alcaraz started the year in spectacular fashion as he won the Australian Open to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam and he followed it up with the Qatar Open title.
The Spaniard went on to reach the semi-final of the Indian Wells Open to take his unbeaten run to 17 matches, but it all unravelled against Daniil Medvedev as the Russian won 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
After starting his Miami Open campaign with an impressive 6-4, 6-4 win over Joao Fonseca, the world No 1 slumped to a 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 defeat at the hands of Sebastian Korda and he struggled throughout the match.
The 22-year-old told his coaching team at the start of the second set, “I can’t take it anymore, I want to go home now” while during the post-match conference he admitted he was ready to take a break to recharge his batteries.
Former world No 2 Corretja says the seven-time Grand Slam winner’s winning run has taken a toll.
“Carlos is having such a tough season that playing against Fonseca in his opening match in Miami – Korda, who had just won a major tournament two or three weeks earlier, a player who has beaten him before, on a court where the ball doesn’t bounce as much and which is a bit more humid – perhaps doesn’t affect Carlos’s game as much. Sebastian plays very flat and served impressively,” he told Eurosport.
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The Spaniard added: “I think it’s only natural that Carlos is feeling a bit [overwhelmed] … winning so much is spectacular, but it’s also overwhelming and exhausting. You don’t get any rest; you have little time to recover.
“I think the start of the year has been exceptional, but it leaves you little breathing space and few days to regain a bit of peace of mind and do what you want.”
Alcaraz mentioned throughout the Sunshine Double that it was tough “having a target on his back” as players constantly raise their game against him and Corretja is not surprised he is “a bit worn out”.
“I think they’re putting together a spectacular schedule because I reckon they’ve taken their time, but I also think it’s only natural that at some point he’d be a bit worn out and make a comment about being tired, or not being able to go on, or wanting to go home,” he said.
“Comments like that are what you make when you’re at home because your head’s a bit overwhelmed. And I think that’s a bit what happened to him. Korda set the bar very high by reaching the third round again, and it all got to him; it became too much for him,” he concludes.
