Just two weeks after Wimbledon’s curtain fell, the Canadian Open was already limping before its first serve with three titans, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, gone from the draw. The ATP calendar now stretches almost eleven relentless months, with barely a breath between the end of 2024 and the grind of 2025. The toll is showing, and the voices are no longer silent. “To be honest, I am complaining about the length of the two-week tournaments, but at the same time, I don’t dislike playing a match and having a day off and playing a match,” Taylor Fritz echoed the sentiment on the 12-day Masters stretch. And Alcaraz once more sounded the alarm, forecasting the brutal truth of professional tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz wasted no time stamping his authority on Tuesday at the Cincinnati Open, powering to his 50th win of the season. Under the blazing Ohio sun, the World No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings dismantled Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4, showcasing precision and poise in testing conditions at this ATP Masters 1000 battleground. 

With the victory, Alcaraz not only became the tour leader in wins for 2025 but also extended his Masters 1000 streak to a jaw-dropping 13 consecutive triumphs. His ticket to tomorrow’s Round of 16 is punched, but behind the calm, the Spaniard has not shied away from voicing concerns over the punishing schedule that shadows the tournament’s momentum.

After the match, when asked about the days when his body and mind are less than perfect, the question drew a telling answer. “I always say that the season is really long, playing a lot of matches, playing a lot of tournaments. More than half of the matches we play, you don’t feel that good. You have to think positive and just play your best tennis possible that day,” Alcaraz said, his words carrying the weight of lived experience.

It was a glimpse into the grind behind the glitter, the inner battle waged far from the scoreboard. Alcaraz continued, “I’m really happy that in really difficult matches I’m able to play my best tennis even though I’m not feeling the right way. I’m just happy and proud about it because it’s something I’m working on.”

 Taylor Fritz, himself, has voiced his own frustration more than once. After all, he would have opted out of the DC Open had it not been for one rule. “There’s a new rule: you have to play a certain amount of 500 events or you get a zero on your record. And because I was injured early this year, I missed two 500s. So, I actually had to play DC in order to give myself a chance to meet my like 500 quota for the year. So, I’m going to be honest. I don’t think that’s the best rule because I was injured early this year,” he shared ahead of the Canadian Open.

His point cuts deep when you consider the sheer hours players pour into competition and practice. “It would be impossible,” he added, capturing the exhaustion of an already punishing calendar. And the schedule isn’t getting lighter. 

Last year, the ATP announced sweeping changes: seven of the nine Masters 1000 events, including Canada and Cincinnati, are now 12-day marathons. The Italian Open, Madrid Open, and Shanghai Masters already expanded last year, and 2025 brought more upgrades. Dallas, Doha, and Munich climbed from ATP 250 to ATP 500, boosting the 500-level calendar from 13 to 16 events. In total, 60 tournaments in 29 countries, a dazzling yet demanding global tennis carnival.

Against this backdrop, Carlos Alcaraz has once again voiced concern over the tour’s pace. Still, under Cincinnati’s blazing sun, he has powered into the Round of 16, showing exactly how he can sharpen his game and thrive in the fire.

Carlos Alcaraz opens up after easing past Hamad Medjedovic

Alcaraz and Medjedovic, both 22-year-old former champions of the Next Gen ATP Finals, collided for the first time in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, and the early stages were a tight, tactical tug-of-war. The turning point came with Medjedovic serving at 3-3 in the first set. The Serbian fought off three break points with grit, but on the fourth, a costly double fault cracked the door open for Alcaraz, who seized the breakthrough.

At the close of the set, Medjedovic called the physio for treatment on neck pain, but he returned swinging hard in the second set, aiming to shorten points under the Ohio sun. His aggressive intent paid off briefly as he broke back for 3-3, outhitting Alcaraz 25 winners to 16 overall. Yet, the high-risk approach proved too erratic to topple the Spaniard’s control.

Two misfired drop shots from Medjedovic handed Alcaraz another crucial break at 4-3. This time, the world No. 2 tightened the grip, refusing to let the lead slip away. Across 95 minutes, Alcaraz’s blend of defense and opportunism shone, converting three of seven break points, as per Infosys ATP Stats.

“I know he’s a really powerful player,” Alcaraz said afterward. “His shots are incredibly hard to return. He has a big serve also. I know he doesn’t like to run too much from side to side, so my plan was to make him run as much as I could. It was difficult because his ball flies and it comes really fast, but I’m just glad that I did it most of the time, tried to defend in a good way. I’m just really happy to get the win.”

With Monte-Carlo and Rome already in his trophy haul during his current Masters 1000 streak, Alcaraz now turns to Luca Nardi in Cincinnati, eyeing another step toward what could be his eighth title at this elite level. Who will emerge victorious in the battle between the Italian and the Spaniard? Share your pick below!