Carlos Alcaraz flew to America to compete in two exhibition matches during the off-season.
Carlos Alcaraz played two exhibition matches in America in one week (Image: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz is said to have made more money playing two exhibition matches last week than he did for winning Wimbledon.
The world No. 3 has kept busy during the off-season, heading State-side to play one-off events in New York and Charlotte.
Alcaraz took a trip to America last week, competing in New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden for The Garden Cup, where he beat Shelton while WTA stars Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro were also in action.
He then headed straight to the Charlotte Invitational for a tournament with Tiafoe, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys. It was a good chance for Alcaraz to play in new venues and test himself against some of his rivals on the tour.
But there was clearly another reason the 21-year-old decided to take time to play the two exhibition matches – he was compensated financially. Discussing the events on the Served podcast with Andy Roddick, Jon Wertheim revealed just how lucrative the events were.
“It’s great for the players. I mean, I was told that Carlos will make more money this week than he will from any others, he made more money this week between these exhos than he did for winning Wimbledon,” the tennis journalist explained.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Ben Shelton to win The Garden Cup in New York (Image: Getty)
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Alcaraz was well remunerated when he defended his Wimbledon crown this summer, taking home £2.7million. While his appearance fees for the American exhibitions weren’t revealed, it was clearly worth making the trip to compete.
However, some fans have pointed out that Alcaraz was one of several players who complained about the long and demanding tennis season but still chose to travel and play extra matches in the off-season.
While it’s clear the money will have played a role in his decision, Roddick was quick to defend the world No. 3 and others who played other matches in their downtime, explaining how they didn’t compare to real competition.
“You’re not stressed. Results don’t matter. The only thing that matters is people leave with a smile on their face, thirsty for more tennis,” the 2003 US Open winner explained.
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The retired former No. 1 also vouched for how well Alcaraz performed in New York and Charlotte, as Roddick was struck by how personable the Spaniard was throughout the week. He added: “Carlos was pitch perfect with every person.
“This is not a prioritised event for him. This is something that he’s doing, obviously, because he’s getting paid.
“Like, there’s no doubt about it, but he doesn’t act like someone who’s there to get paid. He acts like someone who is trying to add value. And if he is getting paid, he’s the safest offer in tennis now.”
Alcaraz has now turned his attention back to his pre-season training, as he has already started his physical work in Alicante. The world No. 3 will be back on the practice court from Thursday onwards.
