Carlos Alcaraz has been told to look to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who have never faced the same “emotional” problems as him.

The 21-year-old was stunned in the second round of the US Open after winning back-to-back Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.

And renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes Alcaraz’s extra passion could be costing him.

“I wouldn’t think he would lose in three sets like this but for me, it’s half a surprise,” Serena Williams’ ex-coach said of Alcaraz’s shock loss to Botic van de Vandschulp. “Two Grand Slams in a row, now he can rest. No. The Olympic Games now. Plus all the other tournaments.”

While it’s been a successful year for the Spaniard, winning two Major titles in a single season for the first time, Mouratoglou says they left him exhausted. He continued: “But they meant so much for him.

“He put everything, mentally, emotionally, of course, physically and tennis-wise, on the table to win them, because it’s got counted so much. And when it counts so much for you, emotionally, it’s draining. He was exhausted, mentally exhausted.”

Alcaraz’s emotions have cost him in the past – he has cramped in some of the biggest matches of his career, most notably his 2023 French Open semi-final clash with Djokovic. And Mouratoglou noted that none of the Big Three had the same issue.

The Frenchman added: “He’s very, very emotional. We’ve seen him cramp many times already. If you look at Roger, Rafa, and Novak, have you seen them cramp once in a match? All their careers? He cramped many times already, only at 20. He’s an emotional player.”

Mouratoglou now wants to see Alcaraz manage his schedule better. It’s something the likes of Federer and Djokovic prioritised as they got older.