Toni Nadal completely disagrees with Carlos Alcaraz’s complaint in Shanghai, ‘I don’t like excuses’

Carlos Alcaraz’s acrimonious exit from the Shanghai Masters represented something we are not used to seeing from the affable Spaniard.

Always the happiest person on the court, regardless of the result, on this particular occasion, he looked frustrated and stroppy.

The Spaniard was sulking, and routinely grumbled to his team about an issue that Taylor Fritz had complained about earlier that week.

However, Toni Nadal has taken a rather negative view of these perceived ‘excuses’, recalling a time when Rafael Nadal had a similar issue and how he dealt with his moaning.

Uncle Toni has never been one to shy away from voicing his opinion on big topics in tennis, no matter how controversial they may be.

And, whilst Carlos Alcaraz was not alone in his complaint, that did not stop this legendary coach from using him as an example.

As reported by Jose Morgado, he shared: “A few years ago, we were at the US Open with Rafa, and that year he wasn’t getting any spin off the balls. We were playing, and it was a disaster. Every day, when we went out to practise, he’d say, ‘These balls don’t suit me. I can’t get any spin on them.’ The next day, it was the same thing all over again.

“I really don’t like excuses. He won his first match, his second, his third… but I eventually got tired of hearing it, so I told him, ‘Listen, what you need to do is lose, and then, when you get back to Mallorca, the balls will give you all the spin you want.’ He took my advice and lost.”

Alcaraz has just made a smart decision following this shock Shanghai Masters defeat anyway, having opted to accept a wildcard into the Vienna Open.

Clearly, he is hoping to enjoy a stronger run at the Paris Masters.

Alcaraz’s main complaint about the balls came whilst he was still on court.

He was heard shouting to himself: “I don’t understand a thing. It can’t be that one ball bounces and the other slips on me. I can’t, man, I can’t play like this, man. Damn it!”

Then, speaking to the press afterwards, he questioned the speed of the courts as well, adding: “To be honest, I just felt the first round it was really, well, it was fast. Today I didn’t feel same way. So, it’s weird that in just in two days it can feel that I can feel the court, feel the conditions way different.

“Obviously the first round I played with the roof closed. Today I played outdoor. Yeah, I felt different. I felt the first round it was really quick. Today the ball was bigger and it was a little bit slower. I don’t know why. It’s something weird, and something that they have to look after.”

Fritz, meanwhile, branded it a ‘miserable’ experience playing with these balls, adding: “Just once the balls get worn out, I can hit the ball in one line as hard as I can, then the other line as hard as I can, and then he just passes me and gets a full hit on it.

“I mean, thank God they sped the courts up this year. Like, it’s faster, so at least it still kind of goes, but, I mean, these balls just, they’re so fast brand new, and then they wear out so fast, and once they get worn out, god, it is just miserable to try to finish a point.”