Jessica Pegula sends strongly-worded message to Carlos Alcaraz amid criticism over Spaniard's controversial approach to tennis

Carlos Alcaraz has found himself at the center of a growing debate after details of his unconventional approach to tennis came to light. While some fans appreciated his honesty, others, like his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, expressed concern over his mindset and commitment. Adding to the conversation, Jessica Pegula has now chimed in with a sharp response.

Alcaraz’s new Netflix documentary, ‘Carlos Alcaraz: My Way,’ dropped on April 23 and gave fans a deeper look into his mindset and personal journey. One of the standout moments was when he opened up about how he copes with setbacks, specifically, his decision to take a wild three-day trip to Ibiza after his French Open disappointment in 2023.

Despite his team’s strong disapproval, he let loose and partied hard. He even returned to Ibiza again just before Wimbledon in 2024, raising more eyebrows.

While some have labeled the Spaniard's approach as self-sabotaging, Pegula doesn’t see it that way. In her opinion, despite being a massive star, he’s still human, not a machine. So if he chooses to let loose and live a little, it’s just part of who he is.

"Even though he is a big star, he experiences real-life things, just like all of us,” the American told the media in Rome. “Sometimes I think it's very good for fans and other people to see the human side of athletes. We are not robots. It doesn't matter how many Grand Slams you have.”

Both Alcaraz and Pegula are currently in Rome, gearing up to kick off their Italian Open campaigns soon.

A look into Carlos Alcaraz & Jessica Pegula’s Italian Open opponents

Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the 2025 Italian Open | Image Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz is set to begin his Italian Open campaign on May 9 against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic. Meanwhile Jessica Pegula will get things underway a day earlier with a matchup against fellow American Ashlyn Krueger.

Alcaraz heads into Rome riding a wave of confidence, with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and his team back by his side. He arrived in the Italian capital two days ago after his 22nd birthday and looked to be in high spirits.

Both Alcaraz and Pegula have been dealing with injury concerns ahead of the tournament. The former picked up worrying leg injuries during his Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune, while the latter also struggled with injuries after her early exit in the third round of the Madrid Open. But both have recovered in time.