The spotlight was shining bright on Carlos Alcaraz as he was set to unveil his much-anticipated Netflix documentary, coinciding with his appearance at the Madrid Masters 1000 tournament. The promotional efforts were hard to miss, with umpire chairs at the Magic Box venue covered in advertisements for the series. Alcaraz, at just 21 years old, is being positioned by his commercial team as the new face of men’s tennis, a strategy that has already shown signs of success. Despite Jannik Sinner holding the world No. 1 ranking, Alcaraz has emerged as the biggest star on the ATP Tour, captivating fans and media alike.
However, the excitement took a hit when Alcaraz had to withdraw from the Madrid Masters due to an injury. The young Spaniard expressed uncertainty about when he would be able to return to action, leaving fans and players alike eager for updates. His absence has been felt in Madrid, but his celebrity status remains intact, with many players being questioned about the Netflix show during their press conferences.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev was among those asked about Alcaraz’s documentary. Medvedev, known for his candidness, revealed that he would not be interested in participating in a similar project about his own life and career. "Damn, it's cameras all over you, all over the day. That's not me," Medvedev stated. He elaborated on his discomfort with constant public attention, saying, "I mean, I get it when I'm on court, I try to sign a lot of autographs. Even if you're in the official hotels or you're out on a holiday, a lot of people camp outside the hotels. And it's fine, I sign, I take pictures. But when I'm having dinner and when I'm with my family, I don't."
Medvedev continued to express his concerns about the invasive nature of reality documentaries. "If I give it to the documentary, I'm going to get nuts, like because, especially when you give your permission to them, they want more. They want to film your daughters, they want to film your wife, they want to ask them questions, they want to ask you more about your personal life. They want to know everything about you. You need to keep something for yourself, otherwise they take all your life away," he explained.
As for Alcaraz, he remains optimistic about his return to the court. He confirmed his intention to compete at next month’s Rome Masters, with his title defense at the French Open at Roland Garros being his top priority. "My plan is to go to Rome," Alcaraz said. "My mindset is to do everything it takes to be 100 percent for Rome. I will do some tests at the beginning of next week just to see how it's improved and from that, let's see how it's going to be in the next days. My hope is to play in Rome. If not, the next tournament is Roland Garros for me. So I will try to be on court as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev has been making waves of his own at the Madrid Open, reaching the round of 16 in a rather remarkable fashion. The ninth seed at the 2025 Madrid Open, Medvedev has played just over one hour of tennis at the event. After receiving a bye in the first round, he advanced to the third round when his second-round opponent, Laslo Djere, withdrew.
Medvedev wasted no time in making his mark, defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo with a commanding score of 6-2, 6-2 in just one hour and three minutes. His swift progress raised eyebrows, especially as he reflected on the nature of the tournament. "Yeah, I mean, but I always said I’m okay with two weeks. I just think the calendar in general should be better, but not about the two-week Masters. I think they are fine," Medvedev remarked after his victory.
Despite his quick ascent through the rounds, Medvedev acknowledged the challenges that come with the current tournament format. He commented on the length of the matches, stating, "Yeah, I mean it is what it is sometimes you know. Felix [Auger-Aliassime] last year had even a better draw. But I always say, you know, people sometimes call him lucky, but he beat Casper Ruud, one of the top three play court players to have this luck. So I think he deserved it. But I’m playing when I need to play and I won so I’m happy and I’m looking forward to my next match."
Medvedev’s views on the ATP Masters 1000 events stand in contrast to those of some of his peers. While he supports the longer format, players like Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas have voiced their frustrations. Alcaraz, after reaching the Barcelona Open quarter-finals, stated, "The one-week ones are better. Some will think that in two weeks there are days of rest, but that is not the case. You train, you have to mentally prepare for the game, prepare for it… you’re not resting, really. It’s two full weeks. That’s why I prefer the one-week Masters 1000. For me, it’s better for tennis."
Tsitsipas echoed similar sentiments on social media, expressing his discontent with the two-week Masters 1000s. "The two-week Masters 1000s have turned into a drag. The quality has definitely dropped. Players aren’t getting the recovery or training time they need, with constant matches and no space for the intense work off the court. It’s ironic that the ATP Tour committed to this format without knowing if it could actually improve the schedule, but the quality likewise. Paris got it right, done in a week. Exciting and easy to follow. Just how it’s supposed to be. If the goal was to ease the calendar, extending every 1000 to two weeks is a backwards move. Sometimes, it feels like they’re fixing what wasn’t broken," Tsitsipas wrote.
As the Madrid Open progresses, all eyes will be on both Alcaraz’s recovery and Medvedev’s pursuit of the title. With the ATP Tour continuing to evolve, the debates surrounding tournament formats and player experiences are sure to persist. The next few weeks promise to be pivotal for these athletes as they navigate their respective challenges on and off the court.
