Mar 21, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) acknowledges the fans while leaving the court after his match against David Goffin (BEL)(not pictured) on day four of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.

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“Going to Be Quite Inconsistent”: Carlos Alcaraz Given Harsh Reality Check By Former World No. 1

The Spanish starlet is yet to reach a final apart from Rotterdam in 2025

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz was handed a stinging statement by a former seven-time Grand Slam champion, who predicted that the Spaniard would have inconsistencies in the quest for greatness. The concerned legend is Mats Wilander – a former World No. 1 and winner of 33 career singles titles.

After losing to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, Alcaraz has had a hot and cold campaign in 2025. The 21-year-old travelled to Rotterdam, where he beat Alex de Minaur to capture his 17th ATP Tour-level trophy. But when everyone thought it was his momentous return to form, Alcaraz had three disappointing outings – in Qatar, Indian Wells and Miami.

‘Carlitos’ lost in the quarterfinal in Doha, falling short vs Jiri Lehecka who won 6-3 3-6 6-4. At Indian Wells, eventual winner Jack Draper got the better of him in three sets. Searching for a much-needed boost before heading into the clay court swing, Alcaraz found none of it in Miami – getting knocked out by David Goffin in the Round of 32.

Mats Wilander Claims Carlos Alcaraz Can ‘Pull Off Some Miracles’ Despite ‘Inconsistencies’

One of the increasingly common question marks raised over Carlos Alcaraz’s game is his tendency to gift matches away from a winning position. Although he produces magic in every encounter, the results have been lukewarm. For any normal youngster, this would be completely overlooked. Unfortunately, Alcaraz is not considered any regular mortal.

‘Carlos Alcaraz will be inconsistent for the rest of his career, but he can pull off miracles’, says former world No 1 ⬇️

#Tennis #ATP #CarlosAlcaraz https://t.co/g1R8fI9857
— Tennis365 (@tennis365com) April 1, 2025

“There are going to be inconsistencies,” admitted Mats Wilander while talking about the four-time Grand Slam winner. “He’s going to pull off some miracles at times, and those miracles are going to help him win matches. But I do think in the end, Carlos Alcaraz is going to be quite inconsistent. He could bounce back in two weeks because of the way he plays tennis.”

Alcaraz Looks for Clay Court Resurgence After Disappointment in Sunshine Cities

Carlos Alcaraz now heads to France, where he will play the Monte Carlo Masters which starts in the first week of April. He did not feature at the event for the past two seasons due to injuries during the clay court swing. Nonetheless, the reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion still went ahead and did what the best players do – overcome adversity and win titles.

Alcaraz found an ally in former French star Gilles Simon. The Frenchman defended Alcaraz’s achievements at this juncture of his career, and questioned the growing criticism towards him. “Every time someone like him is losing, we make it a big deal as he’s supposed to win everything,” he evaluated. “I don’t believe he’s this kind of person. He is a player where we know what he has in the racquet, we know what he’s able to do.”

Can Carlos Alcaraz bounce back in Monte Carlo, and eventually retain his championship at the French capital? Let’s wait and watch.

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Carlos Alcaraz

Indian Wells Masters

Mats Wilander

Miami Open

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Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.