Alcaraz And Tsitsipas: Two Ways Of Dealing Or Not Dealing With The Ghosts
Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte-Carlo made me think of how the notion of time works in tennis: Can one turn the clock back, reset it, or fast it forward?
Welcome back! In this edition, we’re musing about time in tennis regarding Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas. We’re also looking at what else we learnt in Monte-Carlo and looking forward to more puppies on the ATP Tour or something.
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Carole!
Monte-Carlo: Alcaraz and Tsitsipas, Two Ways Of Dealing Or Not Dealing With The Ghosts
Carlos Alcaraz, 21, won his first Monte-Carlo title on Sunday, his sixth Masters 1000, and got back to World No.2, while Stefanos Tsitsipas, 26, couldn’t defend his title past the quarterfinals.
Both Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitipas had a lot to win or lose during that one-week ATP 1000 - that, by the way, reminded us all of how fun that format was. Yes, I understand the logic at play for the expanded Masters and WTA 1000, but damn that one-week highest level tennis at the pace of an action movie is so so so good. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked here (when am I not?): These two players’ first path of clay destiny in 2025 triggered my brain about the concept of time in tennis.
The Spaniard’s clock got jammed and reset, but it hasn’t actually started ticking, whereas the Greek’s one has been ticking for a while. The two top players are at two different stages of the tennis clock: one’s trying to see how high it’s going to be able to rise, the other one trying to see if there’s a way to turn back time in tennis.
Alcaraz won so much so early that everything surely seemed to run smoothly. Cruise control at the top of the game, writing history and all that. And then Jannik Sinner crashed his timeline in a way Carlitos might not have imagined. Then, the pressure of having to deliver in Sinner’s absence made it all seem like a never-ending Everest climb with several bags on his back. It’s crazy, but Carlos Alcaraz might have really just discovered what pressure means this year because others took away his toys.
So even if Monte-Carlo is just the start of the clay season and the road to Roland-Garros is going to be long, Alcaraz was already running against the clock in a way. Make a statement now, take the points now or face wasting that damn time. And he delivered, right on time, as he has so many points to take throughout that clay stretch because last year he didn’t play in Monte-Carlo, Barcelone and Rome.
Alcaraz still ain’t flawless in the game, but the way he again approaches it all is
Was it flawless? Nope. Could it have ended - and the chaos started - in the quarterfinals when he was down 3-1 to Arthur Fils in the third set? Absolutely. Could he have been beaten by Musetti in the final had the Italian’s body not collapsed? Possibly. So do I think Alcaraz solved all his 2025 issues and sent all his ghosts packing in Monte-Carlo? Nope. But he made a great step in that direction, especially when he acknowledged that he could not cope with the external pressure and needed to reset and focus on what mattered.
I’ve said multiple times in this space that Alcaraz to me seemed on his way to a burn out because he was playing too much stuff he didn’t need to do, doing too much off court stuff he didn’t need to do and so had a weakened defence against the little voices with a Serbian and an Italian accent that had found a nest in his brain, rent-free. So I’m glad he wasn’t too proud to admit he couldn’t take it anymore and had to change course. The greatest champions are always those who don’t lie to themselves in the mirror.
Blocking the World No.1 noise is actually his biggest chance to get back to it
“One thing that I learned the last month is I have to think about myself,” he told the press on Sunday. “No matter what happens on the court, if I win, if I lose, I just have to leave the court happy. I'm proud of everything I have done. So that's something that I learned, and I think I did it this week, and it paid off. In the next couple of months in this clay season, I will try to just keep going the same way that I approach this tournament and not think about the people talking about expectations. So, I'm not thinking about the ranking anymore. Just keep going, making the things that I enjoy, that make me happy. It is step on the court, showing good tennis, and that's it.” Throughout the week, he also admitted that thinking about getting the World No.1 back killed his brain and his game until now. Again, a good sign to see him admitting he’s human.
Pressure will come back, as at this level, there’s no such thing as swinging freely and not listening to what’s said about you for too long, but next time it happens, he’ll have more tools to deal with it and will recognize the early signs. So let’s see if Alcaraz only found a patch in Monte-Carlo or is starting to fix his issues and kick these new tennis ghosts to the curb. On time for Sinner to come back.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is at a crossroads. He’s been there for a couple of years already, so the clock is now ticking louder. The Greek is a tennis example of the buzz words we’ve seen parasiting the way we speak or think about people’s journeys in this era, like “Glow up” or “glow down.” There’s this fake universal clock where one’s journey is constantly timed and judged. “If you haven’t done X by Y time, omg you’re so screwed.” You’re absolutely not. But the rat race won’t let you breathe long enough for you to understand you’re not. So, suddenly, after what one feels are too many wasted chances, a panic settles, followed or accompanied by the sense of everything’s doomed now anyway, and life’s so unfair and everybody is succeeding but me, WTF is going on, I don’t get it, it’s a mess.
Tsitsipas’s whole system got jammed, and he’s out there wondering why the hell it’s happening to him.
I feel Tsitsipas is stuck in this limbo. His whole system got jammed, and he’s out there wondering why the hell it’s happening to him. He has so much ambition. He wanted to stand so tall in that sport. It must sometimes be unbearable. Until he resigns himself to that new reality, which will either help him rebuild or make him sink for good. Of course, Tsitsipas’s career is already a success with two Grand Slam finals, 6 Grand Slam semi-finals, 12 titles including three in Monte-Carlo’s Masters 1000, and you can keep going. Here, it’s also the issue that at this level, a Grand Slam title seems to be the ultimate judge of success. Not even being World No.1 now comes close it seems. Tsitsipas has also made a massive amount of money on the way. So, let’s put all this into perspective. The guy is fine. Okay? Okay.
But really it’s not the racquet, even if, of course, Stef’s backhand needed some help. But the crux of the matter is not the damn racquet. It’s not, “Oh, he won in Dubai, he’s so back.” There was no way Dubai would bring him back after two years of hitting rock bottom too many times. Something got deeply damaged in Tsitsipas when he lost that Roland-Garros final against Novak Djokovic from two sets up. It also opened a sea of personal doubts and issues that until then his results had sealed. The scar somehow never healed, and instead, it kept popping its head regularly. And he got another layer of it in the Australian Open final in 2023 when it still seemed he had found his way back. He’s such a great player that he’s been able to compensate enough not to drown fully, but it’s still there. Like in Monte-Carlo, where he suddenly lost his game in his match against Musetti. Losing against Musetti isn’t the issue; the way the loss happened is.
Repeat After Me: It’s Not The racquet
It’s not the racquet, it’s the man who holds it. Tsitsipas won’t be the first incredible player whose career gets jammed and who struggled to get back. For some players, there’s either a ceiling they won’t be able to crack and which will unravel their career because of the frustration it creates, or there will be injuries, or some will go through so many defeats that they’ll realize they only love to play when they win. Tsitsipas is now out of the Top 15 for the first time since 2018. Of course, people are wondering if he missed his window to get these Grand Slam titles. And, of course, he’s wondering too. Even more so now that Alcaraz, Sinner, and the rest of the Baby Gen have landed.
Tsitsipas, 26, shouldn’t have been hampered that much by the Big 4 era, but these guys defied gravity, and yes, they also damaged this generation. Except Daniil Medvedev, like Marin Cilic back in the day, still found a way to sneak one Major out of their fingers. Tsitsipas didn’t and now is facing a rough situation: his confidence and game have been burnt too many times on the biggest stage, and yet he needs to regroup and go back to the battleground against the new wave.
Yet, the scar tissue is so thick for him right now. Not even entering the father issues debate because only he knows what’s up with that and if he can or can’t find a path on his own right now. And how much damage has already been done. Hiring Goran Ivanisevic? Great move. Goran knows a thing or two about a wandering mindset, and he proved with so many players now that he had a way to rewire both their games and approaches. But they won’t start before the grass season, and I’m wondering in which state Ivanisevic will find Tsitsipas by then. Hearing Alcaraz talking about focusing on the joy of playing, I’m wondering where Tsitsipas still finds the joy on a tennis court.
Very few top players right now are in a “I need to win matches” situation in the way Tsitsipas is. He’s not really a player who can win big if he hasn’t been winning a lot before that: He needs to be put in the habit of winning so his brain doesn’t start to wonder about everything in sport and life. In my opinion, Tsitsipas has been led astray by too much posturing on social media, at press, or even on the court. Too much complaining, too much lecturing. He looks to me like someone trying to play the persona he thinks best for him to be successful. Instead of just being himself. Maybe because when he landed on Tour being himself, Tsitsipas got put in the “weird” corner. Or maybe the Tsitsipas we’re seeing now since 2021 post RG is the one that was lying under the whole time, just contained by youth and success. Whichever it is, it’s not going well.
I don’t think it’s the racquet jamming his game. I think it’s been being in a toxic environment for too long, and his own rejection of a change of course. Champions are either saved or beaten by how stubborn they can be. And now, not only has his game not improved the way it should have to face the growing challenges, but it has regressed. When he talks about not being able to control his forehand, having a useless backhand, and struggling with his serve, it doesn’t make any sense. When he’s stuck on that baseline instead of moving forward, it doesn’t make any sense. When his ball looks like a lightweight on any given day, it doesn’t make any sense.
Tsitsipas was Mister Intensity. He’d walk on you and that court. He’d hit one of the heaviest balls out there. You wouldn’t go on his forehand without some cold sweat. It’s not the racquet; it’s that Tsitsipas lost a step and too much weight and speed on every area of his game. His game was all about being intense, flashy, and creative, and whatever happens, about not doubting its value. There was a swag there, that you liked or not. Well, now all of what made him one of the very best in the world has been under attack so that you can change his racquet every other week, but it won’t fix the main issue here.
And so I’m back on the time concept. Andre Agassi found a way to get back on time after an awful drought, but it’s so rare at this level of the game. Yet, Agassi knew the way to the top of the game before it all went south. Tsitsipas knows the way to a certain part of the highest level, but he hasn’t unlocked it enough to find not only his way back to where he was but also to get to the next stage. Time comes at an interesting knot here as someone like Goran Ivanisevic, who’s scheduled to come at Tsitsipas rescue, found ways many times to get back to the track that would see him win Wimbledon. Are Tsitsipas's struggles the sign of an issue needing fixing, or are they the signs that his best years are indeed gone? Sure, we’re now seeing players still at it late in their thirties, but outside of the Avengers, are these players winning big?
I’m not sure there’s something like “Benjamin Button-ing” a tennis career or a champion’s game and mindset.
Tsitsipas is, unfortunately for him right now, a very interesting case study. Here’s an incredible player who started by losing his way and then his game. Dubai has to be used as a light in the tunnel for him because it was the first time in a very long time that he poked his tennis head out of the water. But it’s not been enough, as what keeps him under water is much stronger. I’m not sure there’s something like “Benjamin Button-ing” a tennis career or a champion’s game and mindset. Tennis is all about getting better, not looking back. Forget what player you were two, five, or ten years ago because you’re on your way to becoming the best version of yourself. Well, with Tsitsipas, the question is: What happens now if the best version of himself as a player is in the past? How does he go back to fetch that? Or how does he finally mourn it enough to move on? To what? To a version that will somehow be enough to get him back on track to then hope the confidence gained on the way, and a bit of luck in the draws, can do the rest.
There’s also a theory that Tsitsipas has been training so hard for so long that what he started to call a burnout last year might be something else: Maybe, a bit like Thiem at the exception of the injury, Tsitsipas is drained. Can he refuel? How much does he want to? What is he willing to sacrifice again to gain his energy and fire back? Good questions. But when I watch him play, I don’t see the fire anymore. Something’s been switched off for too long now. 26 is now young in professional sports, but what if the mind feels like 45? This clay season looks like a race against the clock for him: it’s his best surface, it’s the ideal moment to rise again, to be young in spirit again, it’s the stretch where the pressure to win is the highest, and it’s the place he can fall deeper in that hole. Stefanos Tsitsipas: Resurrection Story or Cautionary Tale? We shall see.
WHAT WE ALSO LEARN IN MONTE-CARLO
ALEX DE MINAUR: The Australian is a perfect example of how sometimes flying under the radar can help a player flourish. Look at “Demon” now flying on that clay! Look at the regularity and the volume his game found. Is it a game that generates the “wow!” and the “omg!” on a regular basis? No. Does he care? Absolutely not. It’s rock solid in an era where rock solid, quick, accurate, constant pressure is very strong currency. He nearly played a trick on Musetti in the semi-finals, and he will again and again find his way through the cracks at the first chances. He built his career in the shadow, but at 26, he’s fully ready for the lights, with a game and a mind that got the time it needed to mature.
LORENZO MUSETTI: I had the Italian on my list for the potential “agents of chaos” of this clay season, and he was a set away from making me look very good. LOL. He got the game for the clay, and he got the heart for it too. His week in Monte-Carlo was astounding. Yet, it also shows that Musetti might still lack the unreal body resilience one now needs to fight for the biggest titles. But it was very refreshing to see him going through that draw with awe in his eyes. It reminded the Tour what a Masters 1000 was still meaning. Top players will underestimate this one at their own peril.
ARTHUR FILS: Okay, French tennis right now is making lots of efforts not to get ahead of itself (again). But damn Arthur Fils is really starting to look like someone who could earn a regular spot at the top. With a bit more experience, he’d have beaten Alcaraz in that quarter-final. I’m so glad he improved that backhand so quickly this year. Some great work has been done there. He has the fitness, he has the pop on the forehand, and he has a very nice tennis IQ. And, more importantly, he has the mindset: He is convinced he belongs there, convinced he can beat them all. He also seems to walk to his own tune, not really caring about the noise around him. He will need it on that road to Roland-Garros because he’s the French Tennis Hype right now.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don’t get why he played in Monte-Carlo. Djokovic, like the rest of the Big 4, has always made a point not to show up to an event in anything less than a potentially winning shape. Yet this year, he went to Doha (he had just signed with Qatar Airways, so…) and Monte-Carlo, knowing he wasn’t up for it. That eye infection and whatever else was going on: He wasn’t going to win this. Maybe it’s the fact that he knows he played too little last year to build his body to last until the last rounds of the biggest events. Maybe he wanted to have a first taste of the clay. Only he knows. But he played far enough from his standards to sour his mood, so I don’t think it helped him much. The good news is, obviously, that this year, Djokovic looks again like someone who wants to be out there. But there’s a risk that, by going out there without fully ready to, he’s going to reopen some of his motivation issues if the losses keep coming. Miami was a great step in the only direction he cares about: Trophies. Monte-Carlo reminded Djokovic and the field that nowadays he can’t compensate as he used to do when he’s not 100%.
JACK DRAPER: Sure, he lost in his second match. But he lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who was on his way to the semi-finals, and he lost a tight match. I really think Draper can be a big threat on clay, and I really like how he started in Monte-Carlo. Give him a good draw in the first rounds, and be ready to watch out… If he can gain some momentum on this surface… Madrid, which plays faster, could be a great place for him to show the field how he slides.
DOUBLES HISTORY: A Monegasque won a title for the first time in Monte-Carlo. And it was a big deal. Romain Arneodo and Manuel Guinard, who got in thanks to a wild card and were playing just their second tour-level event together, saved two championship points before clinching the title against Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. Guinard was playing his first Masters 1000 event, while Arneodo had lost the final here two years ago, despite two match points. Talk about a wink from Fate!
BUSINESS/MEDIA
The ATP is going all VIP: The Tour signed a deal with Quint as Official Experience and Travel partner. “Quint will leverage its expertise to offer fans curated, immersive event packages. ATP Experiences is set to combine tournament tickets with VIP hospitality, luxury hotel accommodations, convenient transportation, official merchandise, and other perks to create lasting memories for fans. Scheduled for rollout in 2025, ATP Experiences will feature packages for select ATP Tour events, underscoring a shared commitment to elevating fan experience and engagement,” said a statement. The rollout is scheduled for this year, and if you’re interested, you can sign up on the waitlist here.
The ATP also signed with…Purina PRO PLAN. Wait, what? Yes, the pets brand. I’m here for puppies!! Sorry, not sorry. “The partnership grants year-round brand visibility across the ATP Tour's social, editorial, and digital channels, providing Purina PRO PLAN with a global platform to engage with tennis fans and pet owners alike. As part of this partnership, Purina PRO PLAN will be an official partner of ATP Tour events in Europe, including the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Swiss Indoors Basel, and Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Throughout the season, Purina PRO PLAN will engage with athletes, supporters, and pet owners to showcase how quality nutrition and care maintain peak pet health and well-being. This will include a presence at tournament fan zones, along with a series of exciting activations and interactive experiences,” said a press release. Also, that tag line: “Championing premium nutrition for pets of the tennis community.”
SOME BREAK POINTS…
I didn’t see that one coming, but Jasmine Paolini replaced Renzo Furlan by hiring Marc Lopez to her coaching team. Lopez, a great doubles player, was a known fixture of Rafael Nadal’s team.
Ukraine will play the BJK Cup Finals for the first time.
Marin Cilic keeps making his way back and, since Dubai, is using the Challengers in Spain to do so. He has now reached two finals there for one title in four tournaments. He lost on Sunday against Kamil Majchrzak in the final in Madrid (6-3, 4-6, 6-4). Before that, Cilic won the title in Girona, beating players like Marton Fuicsovics or Pablo Carreno Busta on the way to his first trophy there since 2007. Doing so, he took a record of Andy Murray for the longest span between two Challengers titles. Cilic is now close to a return into the Top 100 (#111).
Jannik Sinner has been allowed since April 13th to train in official facilities, so let’s see where he pops back up.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
You were 67% to think the established order would be shaken down during this clay season.
EDITOR’S PICKS
READ: I’m currently reading Ballistic, by Henry Abbott, which is about how sports scientist Dr. Marcus Elliott and the Peak Performance Project (P3) are using technology to predict and prevent potential career-ending injuries. It also explains how and why people need to move more to live a healthier and longer life. It’s, for now, quite fascinating. We already had two severe tennis injuries this season with Lucas Pouille (Achilles) and Clara Burel (Knee), and then imagine how it could have been applied to Andy Murray’s hips or Rafael Nadal’s foot and knees back in the day. I’m intrigued, and I’ll dig more into it later.
WATCH: A French female player with a good win! If you’ve followed France’s nightmarish BJK Qualifiers results, you know France needs women’s tennis hope right now. Well, look at French qualifier Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (19yo), who upset No. 7 seed Lucia Bronzetti in the first round of the Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole! It’s her first main draw and her first Top 100 win.
LISTEN TO: This episode of the podcast The Business Case for Women’s Sports with experienced sports media personality Jane McManus’ last book, The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women's Sports (tennis bonus with Coco Gauff on the cover).
Love your stuff and how you tell a story with what’s going on in the tennis world