Carlos Alcaraz may have made a mistake by agreeing to play in exhibition tournaments during the off-season, according to Grand Slam-winning legend Mark Woodforde.
Alcaraz collected big pay cheques as he played in exhibition events in New York, where he played against Ben Shelton in Madison Square Gardens before he took on Frances Tiafoe in Charlotte, North Carolina.
After the Spaniard suggested the tennis calendar was too long and appealed for players to have more time off, Alcaraz’s decision to play extra matches during the off-season raised some eyebrows.
Now 17-time Grand Slam doubles champion Woodforde has told Tennis365 that the 21-year-old may regret his transatlantic escapades.
“My only concern during the off-season was Alcaraz’s decision to fly to America to play some exhibition matches. That was a bit of a red flag for me,” began Woodforde, who is an ambassador for the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open 2025.
“After playing in those matches, it will be interesting to see how he kicks off the season after that decision.
“To travel to the US and play some matches when he could have been resting and preparing, I was not a big fan of the exhibitions he played.”
After making a stunning start to his professional career, Alcaraz could complete a career Grand Slam if he wins the Australian Open and adds that title to the Wimbledon, French Open and US Open crowns he already has in is collection.
He went out of the Australian Open after a quarter-final defeat against Alexander Zverev last year, with Woodforde suggesting the absence of his experienced coach Juan Carlos Ferrero was crucial to that defeat.
