Renowned tennis journalist Catherine Whitaker, co-host of The Tennis Podcast, has come to Carlos Alcaraz’s defense following the Spaniard’s controversial withdrawal from the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
Alcaraz had been struggling with an ankle injury he picked up during his Tokyo campaign, yet managed to clinch the title there, defeating Taylor Fritz in the final. Shortly after his victory, the World No. 2 announced his withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters, sparking debate among fans and pundits.
Whitaker, however, argued that the ATP itself is to blame not Alcaraz. She criticized the organization’s financial and scheduling system, calling the current two-week Masters 1000 format “an absolute disaster.”
“The ATP has built a setup where the main motivation for players to enter Masters 1000s is money,” Whitaker explained. “But someone like Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t need to worry about that. He can earn much bigger paydays elsewhere and honestly, I don’t blame him.”
She highlighted that tournaments like the Laver Cup and Tokyo Open offered enormous appearance fees, often higher than what Masters events could provide. According to her, this imbalance makes it understandable why players prioritize certain tournaments over others.
“He played the Laver Cup big fee. Tokyo massive again. He’s heading to the Six Kings Slam next, which pays even more. So missing Shanghai makes perfect sense financially,” she added.
Whitaker also pointed out that Alcaraz hasn’t broken any ATP rules by pulling out. With his strong record in Grand Slams and top-tier events, the young star’s ranking remains secure.
“If you’re winning majors and staying consistent like Alcaraz or Sinner, your ranking takes care of itself,” Whitaker said. “He’s simply playing by the rules
the ATP created.”
