John Isner has predicted what will be said about Carlos Alcaraz if he loses early at the Australian Open.
The Spaniard is entering the 2025 season with the goal of winning the title at Melbourne Park for the first time.
Should he triumph, Alcaraz, 21 would become the youngest player to win all four Grand Slams, breaking the record set by Rafael Nadal in 2010 at the age of 24.
But should Alcaraz suffer a shock exit similar to his second round loss at August’s US Open, John Isner thinks a decision made at the end of the 2024 season will be blamed.
What does John Isner think will be said about Carlos Alcaraz if he loses early at the Australian Open?
Since the 2024 season came to a close Carlos Alcaraz has mentioned on multiple occasions that his main goal for 2025 is to win the Australian Open.
This is the one major he has yet to get his hands on and he is determined to overcome the competition Down Under and lift the title.
However Alcaraz spent part of his offseason playing two exhibition matches in New York and North Carolina against Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe respectively.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
While speaking about his decision to play those events, former player John Isner thinks that will be blamed if the World number three suffers an early exit at the Australian Open.
“None of us begrudge Carlos going out there and collecting two massive cheques but Sinner seems to be putting his head down after his fantastic year and going back to work, keeping a low profile and both of them will be ready to go in Australia,” Isner told the Nothing Major podcast.
“I think if Carlos doesn’t perform that well at the Australian Open a lot of people are going to jump on the fact that he was in the United States in December playing exhibitions as opposed to getting ready. I don’t think that’s fair, but that’s the way it’s going to be.”
What is Carlos Alcaraz’s record at the Australian Open?
Alcaraz played his first main draw Australian Open match in 2021 and has played just 10 total matches at the tournament so far.
He has seven wins but he has yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals at the first hard court Grand Slam of the tennis season.
Alcaraz reached the second round in his debut year, missed the event altogether in 2023 due to injury and suffered a third-round five-set defeat in 2022 to Matteo Berrettini, who went on to reach the semi-finals.
The loss still marks the only time that the World number three has lost a five-set match in his career so far.
His best result came in 2024, when Alcaraz faced Alexander Zverev in the last eight, and the German claimed a 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4 victory.
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