MIAMI OPEN NEWS: Just Now, Carlos Alcaraz Breaks Silence! Made A “Shocking” Statement About Himself And Other Table Tennis Players That Are…

Patrick Mouratoglou admits Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘unusual’ comments may come back to haunt him

Patrick Mouratoglou has admitted he was ‘surprised’ by Carlos Alcaraz’s brutally honest comments suggesting he is struggling to deal with the pressures at the top of the sport.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz was honest in his post-match press conference following a defeat against Jack Draper at the Indian Wells Masters.

“I always say that I have to be focused on myself, on my own game,” Alcaraz said. “I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself… So when you’re thinking more about the opponent than yourself, then it is a big problem.

“So that’s what happened. Since the beginning of the day, since the morning, I was thinking about his game, because he’s really tough, he’s really solid, and it’s going to be a really physical match.”

Those words will have been noted by the Draper camp and the next time he plays Alcaraz, the Brit will know his young rival is wary of the threat he can pose.

Now respected coach Mouratoglou has suggested Alcaraz’s decision to be so honest about his emotions is a gamble that may backfire on him.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 as he releases a compelling book Champion Mindset, the former coach of Serena Williams and current coach to Naomi Osaka admitted Alcaraz’s brutal honesty was not the norm for an elite sportsman.

“It was a choice for him to say that. I don’t know if it was good or not,” Mouratoglou told Tennis365. “If it helps him to take it out of his system to say it, to admit it, why not?

“Most other players would not say it, that is his choice. We will see how he plays now after he has said this. We will if he feels less pressure now that he has said this, that he admitted his weakness of that moment.

“Maybe the fact that he verbalised it will put more pressure on him, we’ll see. It is unusual to hear this.”

Mouratoglou went on to reflect on a period of Rafael Nadal’s career when he also went public with his self-doubt before he returned to Grand Slam-winning ways. 

“I don’t know if this is a Spanish thing, but I remember that Rafa had a period in his career when he was losing a lot of matches and he was saying that he kind of lost his mental strength, he admitted it,” he continued.

“I was very surprised when he said this, actually, but then he came back to his true self and it shows that even the great players go through doubts at some points.

“It was the same when I started with Serena. She had not won a Grand Slam for three years, she lost in the first round of Roland Garros and it was a difficult moment. Everyone goes through this at some point in their lives and their career.”

Mouratoglou’s book is set to become one of the must-read publications for anyone involved in tennis, with his story revealing how he banished his own insecurities in the formative days of his life to become one of the biggest characters in tennis.

His guide to building self-confidence and climbing your way to the top offers lessons for all in life and not just tennis, which is why Champion Mindset is a book that will reach out to an audience beyond the tennis community.