Alex Corretja has dismissed critics complaining that Carlos Alcaraz had a "worrying" time on the Asian Swing after defeats at the China Open and the Shanghai Masters put his goal of finishing as the year-end No. 1 out of reach.

Ahead of the Asian Swing, the World No. 2 made it clear that his goal for the rest of the season was to overtake Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP Ranking in time to end the year as World No. 1.

Although he made it to the semi-final of the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing last week, Alcaraz ended up being defeated by eventual champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets. The 20-year-old then went on to compete at the ATP 1000 event in Shanghai, defeating Gregoire Barrere and Dan Evans before losing a three-set battle with eighteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov. This loss meant that it would be impossible for the Spaniard to catch Djokovic in the rankings this year.  

While some have criticized Alcaraz following these defeats, Spanish tennis pundit and former World No. 2 Corretja has defended the two-time Grand Slam champion, who won Wimbledon earlier this year.

"Alcaraz’s Asian tour is not worrying. I don’t give it any importance," he said in an interview with Eurosport.

"Every tournament, every week, every game is a learning experience for Alcaraz, his season is being spectacular. Better almost impossible. [For] Carlos there will come a time when he will have to select tournaments like [Novak] Djokovic.

"We are used to times when [Rafael] Nadal, Djokovic and [Roger] Federer reached the Masters 1000 [events] and won them as if nothing had happened, but it is more normal for him to make a semi-final against Sinner and then be surprised by Dimitrov.

"Maintaining 100% in the 80 games he plays a year is impossible."

Corretja also revealed his thoughts on Dimitrov's win against Alcaraz, saying that the 32-year-old Bulgarian player may have been able to surprise his younger opponent by using a different style of play. He also said that he believed a defeat like this would be beneficial for Alcaraz in the long run.

"Dimitrov plays tennis a little different from what they are used to now. He changes the heights, with the backhand he can vary you with the slice, he has a good serve. It is a much more varied tennis than what Carlitos is used to, I don’t know if that is what has surprised him.

"If Alcaraz plays at his best level, he wins 95% of the games, except when they play among the very good players at the best level. And yet there is always one of them who believes that he has not played at his best level.

"It is good for Alcaraz to understand when he is not at his best level how he can beat players who vary him as Dimitrov may have done," he said.