"Just stop playing the f**king mandatory events" - Andy Roddick urges Carlos Alcaraz to call ATP's 'bluff,' scoffs that they won't kick him off tour

Andy Roddick has voiced his support for Carlos Alcaraz following the Spanaird's complaints about the grueling tour schedule, proposing changes to ease the strain on top players. The American also encouraged Alcaraz to push back against ATP, suggesting he wouldn't face any repercussions.

Just days after guiding Team Europe to victory at the Laver Cup, Alcaraz has arrived in Beijing for the China Open. Following the conclusion of the ATP 500 event, the World No. 3 will head to Shanghai to battle it out for the Masters 1000 title.

During a press conference at the Laver Cup, the 21-year-old opened up about his struggle to stay motivated amid the "tight" schedule. He also expressed frustration over the lack of days off to spend quality time with his family and friends.

"Well, honestly it is difficult. I mean, sometimes I didn't feel motivated at all. It is a difficult moment. As I said many times, you know, the calendar is so tight, a lot of tournaments, no days off or not as much days off as I want," Carlos Alcaraz said.

"I have been feeling this, you know, this feeling few times already that I don't want to go to that tournament because I want to stay at home with my family or my friends," he added.

During a recent episode of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roddick addressed the widespread complaints about the tour schedule. He suggested that November should be reserved for 250-level events, allowing the top players a much-needed break while giving lower-ranked players opportunities to improve their rankings in time for the new season.

"November to December, do four weeks, maybe it's six weeks, whatever it is. Four straight weeks of 250s. So, the top players who have played the most matches, who don't need the paychecks don't need to participate," Roddick said.

"Four 250s have zero bearing on World Tour Finals. The people in World Tour Finals are because they made good runs at Slams, they've won Masters 1000. Wrap it up. Let's f**king wrap it up and let the rest of the season be for people who need to build into January. Not running on fumes to try and recover in a week and the train and get ready for the next season," he added.

Acknowledging Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz's concerns about the busy calendar, the former World No. 1 emphasized the importance of allowing players that have competed the most throughout the year adequate time to recover.

Roddick also urged Alcaraz to call the ATP's "bluff" and skip the mandatory events, dismissing the notion that there would be any serious consequences for doing so since they wouldn't kick him off tour.

"New markets, you could even open up some newer markets. Add more tournaments but the players that have played the most, they have to recover. When Swiatek's telling you that, when Carlos, who never says anything negative about anything is like, 'It's too much. I can't do it.' And they're mandatory events," Roddick said.

"You know what Carlos, just stop playing the f**king mandatory events, see what they do. I'm going to guess they're not going to kick you off tour. I'm going to guess that you're going to be fine. Call that bluff. I get so pissed about it because it's just the same conversation all the time," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz: "Sometimes I really want to take some days for myself that I can't because I have to travel"

Carlos Alcaraz (Source: Getty)

During the same press conference at the Laver Cup, Carlos Alcaraz lamented his inability to take days off due to the extensive travel and jet lag, confessing that there were times when he didn't feel like taking part in tournaments.

"Sometimes I really want to take some days for myself that I can't because I have to practice, I have to travel, I have to, you know, the jet lag sometimes when you're traveling around the world. So sometimes you don't want to go to tournaments, I'm not gonna lie," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Jannik Sinner addressed Alcaraz's comments during his pre-tournament press conference at the China Open, subtly disagreeing with the Spaniard by asserting that "players can still choose what to play and what not to play" outside the mandatory events.

Sinner is set to commence his title defense at the ATP 500 event in Beijing, taking on Nicolas Jarry in his opening match. Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, will square off against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round.