Alcaraz suffers setback in bid for long-awaited autumn success
At 22, Carlos Alcaraz has yet to complete a full season in his career, regularly struggling physically or mentally after the summer.
Carlos Alcaraz, Laver Cup 2025 – © Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz faced a harsh reality check on Saturday in San Francisco. On the second day of the Laver Cup, the world number one was convincingly defeated by Taylor Fritz (6-3, 6-2), snapping a 13-match winning streak.
It was Alcaraz’s seventh loss of the 2025 season, but only his second in the past five months. Fritz became the first player not named Jannik Sinner to beat the Spaniard since Holger Rune did so in Barcelona last April, a reminder of how long ago that was.
In San Francisco, Taylor Fritz dominated the indoor court, relying on an excellent first serve (5 aces and 80% of points won) and an aggressive style of play. He came to the net 20 times, keeping his opponent under constant pressure.
On the other side, Carlos Alcaraz was unable to break the American and appeared very shaky on serve, finishing the match with only five points won on his second serve. This marks the first time he has failed to win at least one set in a match since his loss to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final.
A hasty return for Alcaraz after a busy summer?
The 22-year-old, who was crowned US Open champion just a few days ago, admitted to lacking rhythm. “I had four days without touching a racket after the US Open. Then I started playing a bit again, you know, just hitting the ball and feeling it a little. Was it enough? I don’t know,” he explained, referring to the inevitable difficulty of returning after a long trip and the media obligations following his New York victory. “For me, when you take such a long trip, it’s not really a day off,” he added, emphasizing that his four-day break didn’t really allow him to recover.
This defeat raises a recurring question since he reached the top: why does Alcaraz struggle to finish his seasons as strongly as he starts them? In both 2023 and 2024, the Spaniard experienced a slowdown at the end of the year, never quite managing to maintain the level that allowed him to dominate in the spring and summer.
Last season, despite two Laver Cup victories, including one against Taylor Fritz, the player from Murcia gradually lost momentum during the final months of the season, ultimately failing to advance past his group at the ATP Finals in Turin, a tournament where he has yet to reach the final. He had then cited mental fatigue after a very busy first half of the season.
Alcaraz has yet to shine in the autumn
At 22, the Spaniard has already proven he can excel on all surfaces and win the biggest titles. Yet he has not completed a full season, capable of navigating the eleven months of the tour without setbacks. Managing the post–US Open period, handling consecutive trips, and proper recovery appear to be key factors if he wants to turn his talent into lasting dominance.
This inability to dominate the autumn does not diminish Alcaraz’s talent, but it does raise questions about his long-term management. To transform his flashes of brilliance into sustained reign, he will need to learn to manage his peak form, carefully choose his goals, and approach the season more like a marathon than a series of sprints.
The Laver Cup was just an exhibition event, but the lesson is clear: to establish himself as an absolute master, it will not be enough to light up the spring and summer. He will also need to master the year-end stretches, where, for now, the spotlight always seems to fade.
