Mats Wilander’s Warning to Carlos Alcaraz After 2025 French Open Thriller
Former world No. 1 Mats Wilander issued a caution to Carlos Alcaraz following his third-round victory over Ben Shelton (6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3) at the 2025 French Open on May 30, 2025, highlighting the Spaniard’s inconsistent results as a potential hurdle in his title defense, per Tennis365.com. The thrilling match, marked by Alcaraz’s resilience, underscores his clay-court dominance but also draws parallels to the adaptability of athletes like Luke Littler, who pushed for Premier League Darts format changes.
Wilander’s Warning on Inconsistency
Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, told TNT Sports that Alcaraz’s fluctuating performances could persist throughout his career, stating, “Carlos Alcaraz is going through what he will be going through for the rest of his career, which is that there are going to be inconsistencies,” per Tennis365.com. He noted Alcaraz’s ability to “pull off miracles” can win matches, but losses like his Indian Wells semi-final to Jack Draper (6-2, 4-6, 6-4) and Miami second-round defeat to David Goffin (6-2, 6-4) show vulnerability, per @tennis365com. Wilander emphasized that such inconsistency is “weird for a top player,” predicting Alcaraz, despite his talent, may struggle to dominate like Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, per Tennis365.com.
**Alcaraz’s French Open Performance**
Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed and defending champion, battled past Shelton in a two-hour, 39-minute clash on Court Philippe-Chatrier, hitting 38 winners and averaging 103.80 (PDC-style metrics), per RolandGarros.com. After dropping the second set, he regained control with aggressive baseline play, becoming the second-fastest player to reach 20 Roland Garros wins (23 matches), behind only Nadal, per thetrendingpeople.com. His 29-2 clay record since May 2024, including Monte-Carlo and Rome titles, solidifies his status as a favorite, per atptour.com. Alcaraz faces No. 14 Stefanos Tsitsipas or Matteo Gigante next on June 1, with a potential Casper Ruud quarter-final, per atptour.com.
**Context of Alcaraz’s Season**
Alcaraz’s 2025 season (31-5, 86.11% win rate) includes a Rotterdam Open title and a Barcelona final loss to Holger Rune (6-4, 6-3), but injuries forced a Madrid Open withdrawal due to an adductor tear, per en.wikipedia.org. His Rome victory over Jannik Sinner (7-6(5), 6-1), ending Sinner’s 26-match streak, reclaimed the No. 2 ranking, ensuring he avoids Sinner until the final, per ticotimes.net. Wilander’s warning echoes earlier concerns from April 2025, when he predicted Alcaraz’s “inconsistent results” would persist, per Tennis365.com, especially after losses to lower-ranked players like Goffin.
**Response to Criticism
Alcaraz addressed doubters post-match, saying, “I expected a worse level for me, honestly,” citing first-round challenges as defending champion, per bbc.com. His Rome title, where he wore a knee brace but moved freely in Paris, silenced injury concerns, per atptour.com. Sinner, the No. 1 seed, praised Alcaraz’s clay form, noting their 7-4 head-to-head (Alcaraz leads), per en.wikipedia.org. Alcaraz’s versatility, with titles on all surfaces, draws comparisons to Djokovic and Federer, per franceinfo.fr, countering Wilander’s skepticism.
Parallels to Littler’s Adaptability
Alcaraz’s response to Wilander’s warning mirrors Luke Littler’s push for Premier League Darts changes, like adding Belgium to the schedule, to enhance the sport’s appeal after his 2025 final loss, per Express.co.uk. Both athletes adapt to setbacks—Alcaraz with tactical shifts against Shelton, Littler with format proposals—showing resilience akin to Naomi Osaka’s grit despite blisters, Sabalenka’s Djokovic humor, and Rune’s fan clash, per tmz.com, @TheTennisLetter, express.co.uk. Gauff’s Alcaraz DM anecdote and Evert’s Zverev correction further highlight overcoming scrutiny, per sportskeeda.com, thetennisgazette.com.
Conclusion
Mats Wilander warned Carlos Alcaraz about persistent inconsistency after his 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Ben Shelton at the 2025 French Open, per Tennis365.com. Alcaraz’s 20th Roland Garros victory and 29-2 clay record reaffirm his dominance, per atptour.com, but Wilander sees risks in his ups-and-downs, per @tennis365com. Like Littler’s darts reforms, Osaka’s perseverance, Sabalenka’s levity, and Rune’s defiance, Alcaraz’s resilience shines. He faces Tsitsipas or Gigante on June 1, live on TNT Sports.
