“I thought I would just keep going,” he says. “Does not work like that. The same work you did to get up there, the same work you need to keep going, keep working harder. “
Despite the cautionary stories, it’s almost impossible not to get carried away in the excitement when new talent takes to the stage at one of the biggest showcases in sport. It’s a breathless experience that tennis has long thrived from.
Alcaraz, a Spaniard already burdened with a nickname, the Next Rafa, a nod to his compatriot 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, said he knew he had been on an issue for the past few days the fascination in his homeland had become.
“I try not to think about it,” he said on Sunday after beating Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk in the fourth round, his second win in a row in five sets. “Just concentrate on New York, on every day here.”
This is a good start, said Mary Carillo, the tennis commentator and former Grand Slam double winner. Carillo has seen tennis crack so many rising stars, from Andrea Jaeger, who fueled matches, to Mardy Fish, who battled anxiety and mental illness at the height of his career. Her heart sinks every time she sees gamers check their phones, what is said about them on social media as soon as they leave the pitch.
Survival, she said, depends on what we learn in kindergarten: getting enough sleep; don’t talk to strangers; don’t listen to what they say about you; stay away from bad people.
“You really better make sure you have the right people in your ball club,” said Carillo. “People who understand your values, your ambitions, how much you can take and especially when you need some time to withdraw.”
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