Spanish tennis coach Toni Nadal raised concerns about Carlos Alcaraz and disagreed with his comments after his 16-match winning run came to an end on Saturday.
World No.1 Alcaraz lost his first competitive game in 2026 as he was beaten 3-6, 6-7 by Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells Open semi-final. The Murcia-born superstar had progressed past Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Rinderknech, Casper Ruud and Cameron Norrie before running into an in-form Medvedev in the last four.
It marked a rare setback for Alcaraz, who had won the Australian Open and Doha Open earlier this year, cementing his spot as the best men’s tennis player in the world.
But after losing against Medvedev, Alcaraz spoke about the standard of his matches and claimed that players raise their game when facing him, saying: “Sometimes I get tired of feeling that I play against Roger Federer in every round.
“Sometimes it seems like everyone plays at an incredibly high level. I don’t know if it’s just a feeling of mine, but I feel like it always happens against me. If they played at that level in all games, they should be much higher in the ranking. It’s something that worries me and what I think about when I’m playing.”
Alcaraz’s comments did not go unnoticed in the tennis world, with Toni Nadal, the uncle and ex-coach of Rafael Nadal, among those to chip in and deliver his verdict on the Spaniard.
In Onda Cero’s ‘Radioestadio’, Toni Nadal said: “I think Carlos was more tired, with less spark than on other occasions and it is true that Medvedev played very well, at a very high level. Obviously, if Carlos plays well he is always the favourite.
Then when asked about Alcaraz’s words referring to the level of his rivals, he added: “I do not agree at all. It’s not a matter of a target in the back. When you play with someone who is better than you, you know that you have to hurry up the shots more.
“When you go out to play, you are clear that you have to risk a little more. Not because he is Alcaraz, but because the other knows that Alcaraz is better.”
“Surely Medvedev would prefer to play with another and not with Alcaraz or Sinner, but he knows that if he plays with these, he has to squeeze more,” Toni Nadal added.
Alcaraz is anticipated to return to the court when he takes in his first round match at the Miami Open on Friday, with his opponent to be confirmed.