"Most tennis players on the circuit play in a similar way. They hit hard and cross-court with their forehand and when they can, they attack with a parallel shot, looking for their opponent's error. With Carlos, it doesn't work like that. Against him, you not only have to defend from the back of the court because he is capable of hitting winning shots from anywhere, he plays to all sides, invents when others wouldn't," analyzes Daniil Medvedev. Behind the typical praise for his upcoming opponent, with whom he will face today in the Wimbledon semifinals there is an absolute certainty: Carlos Alcaraz is different. In an increasingly physical and robotic tennis, boom, boom, boom, forehands here and there, the Spaniard is capable of creating. The rest box, he paints; such is the distinction.
The drop shot is his symbol, he hits almost double (2.9% of his shots) compared to Novak Djokovic (1.7%) and more than double compared to Jannik Sinner (1.3%), but there is much more. "My favorite shots are the forehand drop shot, the forehand passing shot, and I would say the backhand lob between the legs," he replied the other day after defeating Ugo Humbert in the quarterfinals of the London Grand Slam when asked about his most precious resources. "The backhand lob between the legs?" his interviewer replied. "Yes, yes, I practice it a lot, I like it," he confirmed. At 21 years old, Alcaraz could seem like the leader of a revolutionary generation, more ingenious, a group of young players called to recover and modernize old-school tennis, but in reality, he is practically alone.
"Brings tennis back to being a game of chess"
"Carlos has found a different playing pattern than the others and it is very commendable to carry it out because he also needs the power of his opponents. In the last 10 years, tennis has become more physical, almost entirely physical, and he is at that level while also using resources that others do not have. He is one of the few who uses the drop shot as a winning resource, not as a desperate shot, but he also changes the game from the baseline or with his volley finishes," analyzes Anabel Medina, captain of the Spanish team in the Billie Jean King Cup, who enjoys the recent evolution of the Spaniard. French Open champion and now two matches away from another title at Wimbledon. If he wins today, on Sunday he will face the winner of the match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti (around 5:30 p.m., Movistar) to make history.
"Alcaraz brings tennis back to what it is, a game of chess, and that complicates life for his opponents. From the beginning, even before starting, they must already think: 'Let's see where this one comes from.' He is also very physical, as much or more than the rest, but he proposes different things," comments Carlos Martínez, Spanish coach, who these days accompanies Japanese player Taiki Takizawa in the under-14 tournament.
"It is evident that he has been a talented player since he was a child, spending hours and hours at the club with a sandwich in one hand and the racket in the other. In classes, they teach you the technical base, each shot is repeated a lot, but outside of classes, you also have to explore. Alcaraz practiced against the fronton, with friends, had fun trying new things, and now that tennis comes from within him," points out José Perlas, former coach of Juan Carlos Ferrero, who witnessed some of Alcaraz's adolescent training sessions.
As a child, matches with 60 drop shots
Because there, at the base, lies the reason for the imagination of the current world number three. The Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia school, where he trained, was directed by his father, also Carlos, for 30 years, and young Alcaraz entertained himself there beyond his training sessions. As they say in football, he is a street tennis player, he practiced for pure fun, without a coach always watching, far from competition. Hence, also, his playful attitude against the seriousness that prevails on the circuit.
Antonio López, one of Alcaraz's childhood rivals, explained to EL MUNDO a few months ago that in their matches they could add up to more than 50 or 60 drop shots, both immersed in a strange competition to see who executed that shot better. And from those beginnings, these achievements. At 21 years old, this Friday against Medvedev, Alcaraz will seek another Wimbledon final that will also be a vindication: creativity at its best.