The chief doctor of the Italian Tennis Federation, Gianni Daniele, has come under fire following controversial comments about tennis star Carlos Alcaraz. The doctor accused the Spaniard of having a 'mental weakness' after a recent wrist injury, which kept him out of the French Open, Wimbledon and now the Cincinnati Open. There are now concerns that the seven-time Grand Slam champion could miss the US Open later this month, with the Spaniard considered a major doubt.
Doctor's Alleged Claims
In an interview with La Repubblica, Daniele is alleged to have claimed that Alcaraz's injury is not all that serious despite all the tennis he's missed this year. He's quoted as saying: "From Spain, it hasn’t been known with certainty what type of wrist injury Carlos had. Now he would be going through a kind of mental weakness."
"Having difficulties recovering the previous work intensity, a kind of depression would have been created in his head, a vicious circle that doesn’t allow him to have the confidence he had before. Doubts would start to take hold of his mind, and it’s a shame, because even for the number one, it means not finding a rival of such an extraordinary calibre."
President's Earlier Criticism
Those comments follow on from another scathing interview with La Repubblica, where the president of the FITP, Angelo Binaghi, hit out at Alcaraz for purchasing a yacht. He said: "Everyone is looking for the secret of Italian tennis. There isn't just one, but it all starts with examples like Sinner, who stays on the court without complaining about his physical condition.
"I myself, as a former player, knew a generation that thought a little success was enough to allow them to be arrogant or not work hard enough.
"Today, we are lucky to have a champion who seems to have fallen from the sky, who shows the way and reminds us every day of the importance of hard work.
"And if I may make a comparison: unlike Alcaraz, Jannik would never buy a six-million-euro yacht. I'm convinced of it, and I doubt anyone can prove me wrong."
Fan Backlash
The Italian Tennis Federation has come under fire following those comments, with fans calling the comments a 'disgrace'. One fan said: "The chief doctor of the Italian Tennis Federation, Gianni Daniele, speaks about Alcaraz like this. It seems utterly abhorrent to me that from the Italian Tennis Federation, both its president Binaghi and now the chief doctor, would have words of such magnitude toward Alcaraz.
"Binaghi already criticized Alcaraz for having a yacht, and now this guy speaks about Carlos like this without having the slightest clue what he’s talking about. I can’t imagine the Spanish Federation saying anything about Jannik. You’ve got to have more class."
Another fan said on social media: "The most serious and disrespectful part is that there is no official information whatsoever to back up his claims; they are pure speculations and baseless inventions."
The Daily Express has contacted the Italian Tennis Federation for comment.
