Patrick Mouratoglou believes Carlos Alcaraz has returned to full fitness and rediscovered his motivation after missing several months with a wrist injury. The French coach praised the Spaniard's ability to win even when his tennis falls below its best, identifying that quality as one of the main reasons behind his recent success.
Alcaraz returned at the US Open after missing the European clay-court swing and Wimbledon. Although his campaign ended with a five-set quarterfinal defeat to Ben Shelton, he has since won the Tokyo Open and started his Shanghai Masters campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The Spaniard has won 13 of his 14 matches since returning, with Shelton's victory his only defeat during that stretch. He will next face Belgian Zizou Bergs in Shanghai, where he is seeking his first title after reaching the quarterfinals in 2024.
Mouratoglou identifies Alcaraz's greatest quality
Speaking about Alcaraz's recent performances, Mouratoglou argued that the Spaniard's biggest strength is not simply the spectacular tennis that has made him one of the most entertaining players on tour. Instead, he believes Alcaraz's ability to find solutions when his game is inconsistent sets him apart.
“We all have this image of Alcaraz playing incredible tennis, but I think his greatest quality is being able to win when he plays badly. And that's exactly what he did last week,” Mouratoglou said on his social media.
The coach pointed to Alcaraz's unforced errors and lack of consistency despite the power and shot-making ability that remain central to his game. Rather than needing to play perfectly throughout a match, Mouratoglou believes the Spaniard has become increasingly capable of navigating difficult periods and finding a way to win.
“He makes a lot of unforced errors. The power is there, everything is there to hit the ball with power, but he's lacking consistency a lot. He played well enough to win, and he found ways to win,” he added.
Mouratoglou has extensive experience coaching elite players, having worked with Serena Williams, Holger Rune, Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka, Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas, among others. His assessment therefore highlights not just Alcaraz's technical qualities, but also his ability to remain competitive when his performance is far from perfect.
Alcaraz's wrist and motivation show encouraging signs
Mouratoglou was also asked whether Alcaraz's wrist had recovered fully and whether the Spaniard remained motivated after such a lengthy absence. He answered both questions positively, pointing to Alcaraz's willingness to compete and win even when his tennis is not at its best.
“If the question was, is his wrist 100%? I think the answer is yes. If the question was, is he still into tennis? The answer is yes, because he didn't play great and he won. If the question is, is he back? The answer is yes, he's back.”
The comments come after an encouraging start to Alcaraz's return. His Tokyo title was his first since coming back from injury, while his victory over Cerundolo in Shanghai offered another positive sign as he continues rebuilding his competitive rhythm.
Read also
Shanghai also represents another opportunity to add to his Masters 1000 record. Alcaraz has won titles at six of the nine tournament venues across his career, but he has yet to lift the trophy in China. A deep run this week would strengthen his position heading into the final stretch of the season.
For Mouratoglou, Alcaraz's recent results demonstrate that he does not need to produce his best tennis in every match to succeed. With the Tokyo title secured and his Shanghai campaign underway, the Spaniard has encouraging momentum as he continues his return to full strength.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- A healthy Qinwen may be hard to stop next season. She was already scaring her opponents before her medical leave(s). Unfortunately, Zheng insisted on singing again. On the positive side -- Mirra did not sing!! ;~}
mandoist11-10-2026 - Where is it written that athletes, entertainers... People in general... are mandated to keep looking at -- or even using [anti]Social Media? Public & private figures consistently complain and reveal their concerns about negativity and violence thrown at them -- yet they insist on participating. Avoid it, don't use it, don't read it. It's okay to occasionally look up at the World instead beating your eyes & thumbs to death on The Inventions out there.mandoist11-10-2026
- great articlestennisseserver07-10-2026
- Medvedev was leading Djokovic 7-5, 3-5 when an attempted return..' NO you ignorants, Djokovic was leading .weiss05-10-2026
- No more bullshit "Wildcards" to these two. Qualify like everyone else -- there will be cameras there, too. Time to scream... WTF ????!!!!mandoist29-09-2026
- Let's not BS the general public -- Sabalenka started showing cracks in her game last season. Her losses and near-losses started at about the same time she began being distracted by Fame (constant Selfies, making TV commercials, magazine shoots, endless Social Media nonsense, etc., etc.) One would think even Saba could recognize the parallels with others who failed before her -- Raducanu, Giorgi, Bouchard to name a few.mandoist25-09-2026
- Gross!! Hey Raducanu, Giorgi, and Bouchard -- reserve a seat at your Social Media Selfie table for Saba + Naomi. They're heading in your direction soon enough.mandoist24-09-2026
- And then these same players will complain about how lengthy their season’s were and need more time-off. I’m all for more tennis but the amount of tennis we get now is actually kind of crazy! We all need a break, especially the players.DaveyWavey23-09-2026
- You should do a comparison article for "different kinds of justice" the courts decide for tennis players. I can think of at least three players who received very small bans of a few months, however Tara Moore has been fighting for her literal survival the past few years. It seems odd considering she is not a "name" player, unlike the other cases.DaveyWavey22-09-2026
- PRIZE MONEY & POINTS Winner - $185,500 Finalist - $114,500 Semi-Finalist - $66,003 Quarter-Finalist - $35,000 Round of 16 - $18,045 Round of 32 - $13,005 Winner - 500 Finalist - 325 Semi-Finalist - 195 Quarter-Finalist - 108 Round of 16 - 60 Round of 32 - 1DaveyWavey20-09-2026
Loading