"That has hurt him in the last nine months": Patrick McEnroe highlights reason behind Carlos Alcaraz's recent struggles

Former doubles French Open winner Patrick McEnroe believes that Carlos Alcaraz is being hurt by becoming ‘too much of a shotmaker’. The 21-year-old is regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, along with the likes of Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz is going through a rough patch, according to his own high standards. He was tipped to reclaim the top spot in ATP rankings once it was announced that Sinner will stay out of action for three months after agreeing a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing two dope tests in March last year.

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However, the Spaniard failed to live up to the hype, which means that he will not be able to claim the top spot in men’s tennis in the singles category before the return of the Italian tennis star in May. The former world number one is currently taking part in the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he registered a round of 32 triumph against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo with a score of 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. Before playing in Monaco, he was knocked out from the Miami Open after losing to Belgium’s David Goffin with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

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Former French Open doubles winner McEnroe has recently spoken to Tennis.com, as quoted by The Tennis Gazette, where he explained the primary reason behind Alcaraz’s recent struggles. The 58-year-old was of the opinion that the four-time Grand Slam winner is struggling because of becoming ‘too much of a shotmaker. “The guys that win majors are somewhat predictable when it really counts. But Alcaraz has moved a little bit away from that,” he said. “He’s an amazing shotmaker with a level of athleticism that’s just off the charts. That has hurt him in the last nine months. In that sense, he’s too much of a shotmaker. He hits his way into trouble.”

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