"Complete mismanagement";"Where's the sensibility?" - Fans concerned as Carlos Alcaraz's coach rules out withdrawal from ATP Finals despite illness

Fans expressed significant concern over Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to potentially continue playing at the 2024 ATP Finals despite visible illness. This followed statements from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz faced discomfort during his ATP Finals campaign opener against Casper Ruud. The Norwegian won the match 6-1, 7-5 but said after the match that he felt the Spaniard was ill.

During a post-match press conference, Alcaraz confirmed he had been sick since before traveling to Turin for the year-end championships. He also had stomach issues on the day of the match.

On Tuesday, November 12, the 21-year-old turned up for practice ahead of his all-important Round Robin clash against Andrey Rublev, scheduled for Wednesday. However, the Spaniard canceled practice just five minutes in. His coach told reporters that he was facing difficulty breathing.

"As soon as he moves a little, he has trouble breathing. His chest is a little tight. A bad time to get sick," Ferrero said. (translated from Spanish)

"We must not anticipate whether he will play or not tomorrow. We have all played in these circumstances. I think he will not get to the point where he will not go on court. It will be difficult for him to be 100% tomorrow," Ferrero added (translated from Spanish).

Alcaraz and his team's decision to not withdraw from the event has been criticized by fans. Many felt that pushing Alcaraz to compete amid breathing issues and physical discomfort was both risky and unnecessary. One fan wrote on X:

"He has trouble breathing as soon as he moves according to you but you’re still saying it’s unlikely he won’t play tomorrow… not one bit of sense on this team i fear, complete mismanagement if you’re letting him place his health in further danger instead of recuperating."

"Why are they forcing him to play his health is priority," another fan wrote.

"I honestly feel he should withdraw and rest. The baby is sick and tired. Literally," a third fan wrote.

One fan found Ferrero’s stance negligent, stating:

"WTF?? That is negligent coaching, full stop. Health should always come first and anything respiratory is no joke and shouldn't be messed with."

Another fan urged:

"Just let him rest are u stupid"

Another fan emphasized health over competition:

"Where's the sensibility? He won't be able to make sound decisions on court and will be harming himself physically. Just withdraw, there is always next year. Health FIRST 📢"

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"Really demanding year with not too many days off" - Carlos Alcaraz laments the schedule after losing his ATP Finals 2024 opener

Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals 2024 (Image: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz said that he was mentally tired during a press conference after his loss to Casper Ruud on Monday, November 11, at the ATP Finals. The Spaniard, who has talked about the 'tight' schedule on multiple occasions, reiterated his stance.

"I'm tired. I'm tired mentally. Obviously a lot of matches, really tight schedule, really demanding year with not too many days off, not too many period of you could rest, you could practice at home. It's kind of you finish one week or you finish a swing, you only have two or three days off and then you have to go to other tournaments to other part of the world," Carlos Alcaraz said.

On Wednesday, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Andrey Rublev, with the loser potentially eliminated. Rublev also lost his first Round-Robin match to Alexander Zverev.