Patrick Mouratoglou says there is zero reason to worry about Carlos Alcaraz's Laver Cup and Six Kings Slam losses as the French coach suggests the world No. 1 didn't have his usual flame for those two tournaments.
Since losing the Wimbledon final to Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz has been pretty much unstoppable, winning titles at the Cincinnati Masters, the US Open, and Tokyo. The Spanish tennis star also competed at the Laver Cup in late September – a team tournament listed as a main-level event for the past couple of years. There, the world No. 1 delivered a poor performance in his opening match, losing 3-6 2-6 to Taylor Fritz.
After the Laver Cup, Alcaraz went to Tokyo, where he made it all the way and pretty much secured the Year-End No. 1 feat. Then, the world No. 1 went to Saudi Arabia, for a star-studded Six Kings Slam exhibition. The six-time Grand Slam winner routed Fritz 6-4 6-2 in the semifinal, but didn't impress in the final as Sinner ousted him 6-2 6-4.
Mouratoglou shuts down concerns regarding Alcaraz's recent losses: He didn't have the flame for those tournaments
“He feels he is really way above his opponent, so he allows himself to lose focus, lose the set, because he knows that, first of all, the fact that he’s one set all is gonna give him extra motivation and the flame will come back," Mouratoglou said in a video he uploaded on his Instagram.
“When he’s over-motivated and knows he can’t afford to lose his focus, he has the flame. When it doesn’t count that much for him, he doesn’t have the flame. When he has too much margin, he also struggles to find the flame. He won Tokyo because it was ATP and it counts for the ranking, so there was this excitement. Whether he wins or not, the final of the Six Kings Slam — it’s not going to change much. It’s just money. He doesn’t play for money.”
Alcaraz owns an impressive 67-7 record in 2025 and he leads the Tour with his eight titles won. His biggest wins of the season came at the French Open and the US Open.
