“Sometimes I get negative thoughts”: Carlos Alcaraz admits issues with mental health and dealing with criticism

World number two Carlos Alcaraz has spoken out about his mental struggles after he had to deal with backlash from critics. The five-time Grand Slam champion is a huge sporting figure and has lots of expectant eyes always on him, leading to pressure and sometimes criticism when things do not go right.

He received backlash after he was defeated in the Wimbledon final against Jannik Sinner a few weeks ago, losing his title despite going into it as the two-time reigning champion. Throughout all of this, he has called on his psychologist Isabel Balaguer to help him through the tough periods, praising her efforts.

"Yes, I've had her for about five years now, and she helps me a lot. I really feel the difference compared to the past," Alcaraz said in an interview with Gazetta. “Sometimes I get negative thoughts, but she helps me manage them. She gave me advice on how to deal with match stress, and things have improved a lot.

“Like I said, it's all in the head. But it's not just a mental issue: it also depends on the match, how you approach it, everything.”

Alcaraz's rise to the top of tennis has been a rapid one, winning his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows at the age of 19, after many years of hype. He has gone on to win four more, with many predicting him to go on and challenge the haul of the 'Big Three'.

With this hype comes more pressure to perform, with the 22-year-old admitting that there was a time he was 'really influenced by criticism' and that he has learnt to cope and deal with these negative thoughts throughout his short career.

“I try not to think about it too much, because there was a time when I was really influenced by criticism, and that was a very difficult time," Alcaraz said. "So now I try not to give too much weight to certain words that are said. Over the years, I've realised that every small step counts and that you can learn even from defeats. You don't have to be a star every day; the important thing is to be consistent and strive to improve. Always.”

Along with the amount of tennis Alcaraz has played this year, he confirmed that he would miss this year's 1000 Masters event in Toronto, explaining that he needs to 'recover physically and mentally'.

On X, he wrote: "After many consecutive weeks of competition without rest, I will not be able to play in Toronto this year. I have small muscles issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada I am very sorry, I will see you next year!”

With mental health becoming a topic at the forefront of many discussions, more players have come out in recent months and years to discuss their personal demons publicly. An example of this was four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who took a break from the sport in 2021 to focus on her mental health.

At the start of the year, Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev opened up about his depression, and that he felt 'completely lost'. Casper Ruud has described his life as being 'tough', Alexander Zverev talked about 'feelings of loneliness' and 'lack of joy in his life', and Paula Badosa revealed her periods of deprssion and anxiety on the Netflix series 'Break Point.'

Being a tennis player can be a tough gig at times with a lot of travelling, many high-pressure games and situations, and backlash from social media and critics. With more people speaking about their past trauma and more focus on mental health, it is a topic that will continue to be talked about in tennis.