MELBOURNE, Australia — He may have celebrated his 21st birthday in May last year, but Carlos Alcaraz Already has serious claims to be the best tennis player on the planet.
Over the past 30 months, the charismatic Spaniard has won more Grand Slam titles than anyone else in the game, reached the semifinals at a major in six of eight events, and collected more than $15 million in prize money. .
Alcaraz also became the youngest ATP World No. 1 when he took the mantle from him. Daniel Medvedev In September 2022. Two and a half months later, he became the youngest year-end No. 1 in the world. In the blink of an eye, it seemed, he had joined the very elite of tennis.
“For me, the goal now is to win a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz, now world No. 3, declared. Australian OpenEmphasizing your hunger for success and high expectations for yourself
At this point in Alcaraz’s young career, the Australian Open has provided more disappointment and heartbreak than fond memories. Not only does it remain the only major title he has yet to win, but it is a tournament that has never seen him at his ruthless best.
Ironically, it was the Australian Open in 2022 when Alcaraz first announced himself to the world. The 18-year-old fell agonizingly short in a fierce third-round clash against the eventual semi-finalist. Matteo BaritiniA match that consisted of five sets and lasted more than four hours. Alcaraz produced some mesmerizing tennis throughout the tournament, making him an instant crowd favorite and many pundits predicting success in the near future.
Those predictions quickly proved correct, with Alcaraz triumphing Casper Road at the US Open later in the year, before adding a pair of Wimbledon crowns and a French Open title over the next two seasons.
But since that match against Baritini at Melbourne Park, it’s been rough sledding for Alcaraz in Australia. In 2023, as the newly crowned world No. 1, he was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open after suffering a hamstring injury late in his training camp. He would return to much fanfare in 2024 but was ultimately undone by a super effective Alexander Zverev In a one-sided quarter-final, Joe Alcaraz failed to show his best.
A fifteenth in Melbourne gives Alcaraz a chance to turn around his Australian Open fortunes and add the Norman Brooks Challenge Cup to an already eye-popping trophy collection. Winning the title would move him past Xavier in the ATP rankings and make him only the ninth male player in history to hold all four majors in a career. At the age of 21, he will be the youngest to achieve the feat.
“I really want to win this tournament. One day I want to put my name on that short list,” Alcaraz said during the opening week of the Australian Open. “I’m working every day to be ready for that time. Hopefully it’s this year.”
If Alcaraz’s performances so far are anything to go by, he won’t have to hold out too much hope. In their opening match, they cruised Alexander Shevchenko In straight seats. Then, on Wednesday afternoon at the Margaret Court Arena, Alcaraz put on a tennis clinic against Japan. Yoshihito Nishioka. At one point in the match, Alcaraz had won by 32 points to Nishioka’s five. In the end, he needed just 81 minutes to dispatch his Japanese opponent, winning 66% of the total points and dropping just five games in what was, for the most part, his second straight uncontested.
“I think I played a really solid match today,” Alcaraz beamed after his latest victory. “I improved things from the first match that I needed to improve on… a really good win, which is important for me. I’m very happy with everything today. Hopefully it will continue like this. “
Not only is Australia finally seeing Alcaraz in full flight, but it’s also getting the best version of him yet.
This past offseason, Alcaraz rebuilt his serve, implementing a looser wrist technique to make it more fluid and try to find accuracy with more consistency. It is already paying dividends. Against Nishioka, she hit 14 aces and won 89% of her points when her first serve came into play. He is hitting the ball harder than he did 12 months ago, which has led to a number of winners. Tournament data shows that Alcaraz has sacrificed about 4% topspin on his forehand in exchange for more speed. Now on average an extra 3 kmph is being generated on these shots.
So far, Alcaraz’s decision to skip the Australian Open’s lead-in events — instead focusing on his fitness and form to ensure he can withstand the rigors of Grand Slam competition — is justified. is visible
“I prefer to do a little bit longer pre-season well,” Alcaraz told reporters ahead of the tournament in Melbourne. “We don’t have a lot of time to do a long pre-season in December.” You have to think what’s best for you: stay at home and do the preseason instead of playing any tournaments, or don’t do the preseason and play a few matches beforehand. The Grand Slam
“I decided not to come. I think I’m at the age where I need weeks of practice. I just need a long preseason to be ready. The season is going to be long, so you Must be in good condition. [My aim is to] Try to win as many Grand Slams as possible. [Those are] The most important tournament in the world.”