Rafael Nadal doesn’t believe Carlos Alcaraz isn’t ‘mentally strong’ after the 21-year-old said he was struggling following his shock elimination from the US Open.
Alcaraz was sent crashing out of the competition on Friday, with Botic van de Zandschulp beating him in straight sets to sail through to the third round.
Because I came from a spectacular summer, from Roland Garros, from Wimbledon, coming out of there saying that mentally I had taken a step forward, like I had realised that to win big things or Grand Slams you had to be mentally tough.
I come to this tour and it’s like I’ve taken steps back.
Among the problems I have is that I don’t know how to control myself, I don’t know how to manage it and that’s a problem for me, really.”
Yet Nadal disagrees with those comments and thinks Alcaraz merely needs a rest.
The duo played doubles at the Paris Olympics together earlier in the summer.
And Alcaraz put his body through the wringer as he battled his way to glory at the French Open and Wimbledon, too.
Over the coming days, there will be plenty of eyes on Novak Djokovic as he attempts to retain his crown. The Serb, who recently became the Olympic champion, has not won a major title since his triumph in New York a year ago.
Both he and Carlos Alcaraz have suffered fitness scares in the days before the US Open begins.
