'We have to protect Carlos from himself': Boris Becker shares what he told Carlos Alcaraz while meeting at Laureus Awards

Former world number one Boris Becker has revealed that he warned Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz about a possible burnout at the Laureus Awards. The 21-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, announced on Thursday that he will not feature in the ongoing Madrid Open after suffering an injury during the Barcelona Open.

"In the Barcelona final I felt something in the left hamstring, I didn't think that it was that serious," said the young Spaniard as quoted by ATP’s official website. "I'm really disappointed that I'm not able to play here in Madrid. It is a place that I love playing in front of my people, in front of my family, my friends. They are not able to travel so much, so here is a special place for me. It was a really difficult situation, really difficult to decide, not [being] able to play. I think it is what it is. Tennis is really a demanding sport. Playing week after week, so many matches in a row and you have to heal your body sometimes and take difficult decisions. I will come back stronger. I will come back with a lot of power for the next tournaments. I'm really disappointed [to] not be playing here in Madrid."

Former world number one Becker has been quoted in a report by Yahoo Sports, where he revealed that he warned the four-time Grand Slam winner about a possible burnout when they met at the Laureus Awards. Becker stated that his concern arose after recalling what he went through during his early days as a professional tennis player. He also urged the tennis world to ‘protect’ a player of Alcaraz’s quality.

“We’re talking about a 21-year-old who couldn’t cope with the expectations and the pressure anymore,” said Becker. “We’re talking about mental health. Someone like that almost reached the point of depression. So those around him have to ask themselves-haven't we done something wrong? Demanding too much of such a young player? He almost has to act like a machine... at 21 it’s hard to say no. We have to protect Carlos from himself. [I told him] This isn’t a sprint, your life is a marathon. I was also in that phase when I was 21-22 , when you're not doing it from your heart, you're running from one commitment to the next, and the contracts are very high paying, and the tournaments have signed contracts, which means you are contractually bound and only an injury can save you, but that is not how it should be, which is why I was worried for him(Alcaraz). I hope he will be fit again in time to defend his title at Roland Garros.”