"Players complain how long the season is, then do these" - Fans slam Carlos Alcaraz over Charlotte exhibition commitment amid hectic 2024 schedule

Tennis fans criticized Carlos Alcaraz for committing to play in the 2024 Charlotte Invitational exhibition amidst a busy 2024 schedule. Earlier this year, Alcaraz participated in the Netflix Slam, another exhibition match where he faced off against Rafael Nadal.

Recently, Alcaraz competed in the 2024 US Open where he was the third seed. He kicked off his campaign with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory in the first round against qualifier Li Tu. However, he faced a surprising defeat in the second round, losing to Botic van de Zandschulp 1-6, 5-7, 4-6.

After his exit from the New York Slam, the Charlotte Tennis Association announced that they are organising a premier tennis event, the Charlotte Invitational which will be held at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina on December 6, 2024. The exhibition match will feature Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Sloan Stephens, and Madison Keys.

Carlos Alcaraz is also scheduled to participate in the 6 Kings Slam exhibition match in Saudi Arabia in October, 2024 alongside Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner.

The news of Alcaraz playing multiple exhibition matches during a demanding ATP tour schedule did not sit well with tennis fans, who took to social media to express their discontent.

A fan criticized players for complaining about hectic schedules while participating in exhibition matches.

"Players complain how long the season is then they do these exhibitions," a fan posted.

Another fan blamed players such as Alcaraz for choosing to play exhibitions instead of taking breaks between tournaments, potentially straining their bodies.

"Players bring it on themselves too it feels, anytime they do get something of a break they seem to be somewhere like the exo's playing tennis (be it at a lesser pace)" a fan wrote.

Several fans speculated that Alcaraz's motivation for playing numerous exhibition matches was because he gets good money for it.

"Money must be pretty good," a fan posted.

"Gotta make that coin," a fan wrote.

Many fans said that it was hard to sympathise with players when they complain about hectic schedules and go on to play exhibition matches.

"Hard to have sympathy when they do this to themselves. I remember when Thiem used to overplay and we see what happened later on," a fan posted.

"I have less sympathy on this issue than others. The Olympics, Laver Cup, Saudi exhibition- all have nothing to do with ranking. I’m sure he’s getting paid mightily for Charlotte," a fan wrote.

A fan expressed that they refuse to believe that Carlos Alcaraz's loss in the second round of the US Open was solely due to fatigue from the 2024 Paris Olympics. They pointed out that Taylor Fritz, who also competed in the Olympic Games, managed to reach the fourth round of the New York Slam despite playing in all three events - singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

"I’m not buying into this Olympics burnout. Taylor Fritz played all three disciplines in Paris and he’s still going strong in NY. And he gets zero recognition for it," a fan posted.

Carlos Alcaraz - “It’s been a very emotional summer, very demanding”

Following his loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the 2024 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz expressed while speaking to the press that the tennis schedule this season has been very demanding.

Alcaraz stated that a hectic calendar prompts him to demand more from himself which in turn becomes very mentally draining for him.

“It’s been a very emotional summer, very demanding... I’ve had my moments of disconnection, but I think I’m still learning about myself . I need more time . I have to get to know myself, what I need. Maybe I’m the kind of person who, with a calendar like that, demands too much of himself mentally. I have to see exactly what’s going on,” Alcaraz said [via ATPTour.com].

The conclusion of his campaign at Flushing Meadows marks the end of Carlos Alcaraz's 2024 Grand Slam season. He had a quarter-final run at the Australian Open before winning the French Open and Wimbledon Championships this year.