Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open Woes Prompts Iga Swiatek’s Childhood Coach to Raise Alarming Concerns at Tennis’ Constant Problem

“I don’t think our sport is going in the right direction,” Iga Swiatek said, during her US Open campaign, referring to the grueling tennis schedule. As she firmly pointed out the exhausting reality of the sport that affects a player’s mental and physical health, Swiatek’s plea for a better schedule is now resonating with many other players. Carlos Alcaraz, who lost in the second round at the US Open, also had a similar concern after his defeat. And now, Swiatek’s childhood coach Artur Szostaczko has voiced his opinion on the matter, siding with both players.

During an interview with Sport.PL, Szostackzo elaborated on the missing piece in Swiatek’s game in the US Open, where she lost in the QF. The 53-year-old focused on the intense pressure that players faced after the Olympics. “Let’s remember that Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are still young players. You can see a certain decline in them after the games, in my opinion, it is due to the huge mental burden. If a tennis player does not feel confident in his head, the game starts to fail,” said Szostaczko, who coached Swiatek until she was 10 years old.
Alcaraz went into the 2024 US Open as one of the favorites. Even though he had lost to Novak Djokovic in the Paris Olympics gold medal match, his form throughout the season had been magnificent as he had breezed past everyone at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. However, at the US Open, the Spaniard fell to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round itself. Even after taking a short break after the Olympics, Alcaraz looked a bit tired and had to go home disappointed. “The tennis schedule is so tight. I’ve been playing a lot of matches lately,” he said after the defeat.