It will no doubt have served as a lesson to the 23-year-old, and some ominous comments made ahead of the Miami Open in March prove that this isn\u2019t the first time Alcaraz hasn\u2019t known when to stop.<\/p>\n
The seven-time Grand Slam champion spoke to Vanity Fair<\/a> while competing in Florida earlier this year, and stopped himself in his tracks while explaining just how much he\u2019s struggled when he\u2019s not taken a much-needed break.<\/p>\n \u201cOver time, you grow aware of what you need. There\u2019s been times in which I didn\u2019t stop to take a break, and that led to me not playing well, or becoming injured, or…\u201d he said, before pausing and deciding not to finish. \u201cLet\u2019s just leave it at that, that it didn\u2019t end well.\u201d<\/p>\n Alcaraz has been vocal about the lengthy tennis schedule. In 2024, he half-joked<\/a>: \u201cThey are going to kill us in some way.\u201d He\u2019s also known for enjoying his time off the court, which includes a yearly trip to Ibiza<\/a> in between the French Open and the grass season.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all part of the world No. 2\u2019s hopes of looking after his mental health. \u201cI think it\u2019s just as important, or more, than taking care of your body. There\u2019s people who are, fairly so, obsessed with body aesthetics, but to me it\u2019s just as important to take care of your head,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n However, like anyone, Alcaraz and his game have also been affected by negative comments online. \u201cNow, anyone can easily leave a comment, you can harm an athlete with just one comment,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old\u2019s comments about taking a break are especially revealing, given that he has now been sidelined by a concerning injury. Alcaraz had been excited to get back on the clay and shared his intention to play a full schedule<\/a>, made up of one-week tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, two-week Masters 1000s in Madrid and Rome, and Roland Garros.<\/p>\n He finished runner-up to Jannik Sinner<\/a> in Monaco, and then beat Otto Virtanen in Barcelona. Alcaraz received a medical timeout<\/a> towards the end of the first set of his match against Virtanen and had his wrist strapped, but played on and won 6-4 6-2. However, he pulled out of the tournament the following day.<\/p>\n