How Alcaraz uses firepower and unpredictability to dominate the court

Whether it is forehand, backhand aliases a slice, knowing what type of changeable to play and erstwhile is cardinal to winning tennis matches.

But truthful excessively is simply a player's position connected nan tribunal - pinch nan very champion successful nan world knowing wherever to beryllium to expect a return, aliases to summation a fewer much valuable seconds to scheme their adjacent move.

Few are amended masters of this creation than Carlos Alcaraz, who is proving to beryllium 1 of nan astir complete players connected nan circuit astatine nan moment.

Having won nan French Open successful his last lucifer of nan clay season, nan 22-year-old Spaniard transitioned to writer seamlessly by winning Queen's for nan 2nd clip past week.

It sets him up perfectly for nan pursuit of a 3rd title successful a statement astatine Wimbledon, wherever his power of nan tribunal will erstwhile again travel to nan fore.

"He is truthful exciting," erstwhile British number 1 John Lloyd told BBC Sport.

"He is truthful quick, lightning quick, groundstrokes are immense some sides. He has 1 of nan champion volleys connected nan tour, his serves are getting amended and better.

"He is simply a showman and a awesome entertainer."

To understand a spot much astir why five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is truthful bully it is worthy checking backmost connected really tennis has changed complete nan years.

Playing styles person gone from almost each portion of nan tribunal being covered by a subordinate to nan crippled now being predominantly fought retired from down nan baseline.

Although improvements successful writer attraction will undoubtedly person played a part, this improvement tin beryllium seen successful images from Wimbledon complete nan years, pinch much patches of deterioration evident connected much areas of nan writer successful nan 1970s and 1980s compared to much caller years.

The statistic that show nan diminution of nan serve-and-volley crippled do look to correspond pinch nan changes to wherever writer deterioration astatine Wimbledon tin beryllium seen.

In 2002, serve-and-volley points successful nan men's tie accounted for 32.6% of full work points won, but by 2018 that fig was down to 6.93%.

Evolution of nan instrumentality utilized will person contributed to this eventual drop, pinch nan improvement of modern racquets and strings making it easier to deed powerful groundstrokes from nan baseline.

The supra item is applicable because Alcaraz has shown he is adept astatine some styles of play.

In past year's men's last astatine Wimbledon, nan aged and nan caller defender were matched up for nan 2nd twelvemonth successful a statement arsenic Alcaraz faced 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

There, Alcaraz dictated play pinch his velocity and movement, causing Djokovic to suffer assurance successful his expertise to unrecorded pinch his force from nan backmost of nan tribunal and alternatively unreserved to nan net.

It was a trap that worked arsenic Djokovic won conscionable 50.9% of his points astatine nan net, compared to 72.7% for Alcaraz.

But nan younger man was conscionable arsenic beardown erstwhile staying connected nan baseline wherever erstwhile again his speedy activity and powerful shot striking was excessively overmuch for Djokovic, who was placed nether adjacent changeless unit by Alcaraz.

"In that final, Djokovic was only capable to make 3 break points and won one, whereas Alcaraz was capable to make 14 break points and won five, truthful location was changeless unit connected him," says Craig O'Shannessy, tennis expert and laminitis of Brain Game Tennis, who has worked pinch Djokovic.

"And from nan crushed changeable section Alcaraz had excessively overmuch firepower from nan back, hitting 21 forehand winners while Djokovic deed six.

"With nan backhand, Alcaraz deed 10 winners compared to 3 for Djokovic. The offence was very overmuch controlled by Alcaraz successful that final."

Alcaraz's power of nan tribunal was erstwhile again connected show astatine Queen's and, astatine 22, he has already won 4 grass-court titles - arsenic galore arsenic compatriot Rafael Nadal secured successful his career.

Nadal, of course, was nan 'King of Clay' fixed his brilliance connected that surface, but Alcaraz is showing proficiency connected each tribunal types.

"It is ne'er a letdown pinch this player," said erstwhile British number 1 Andrew Castle, who was commentating connected nan Queen's tournament.

"Expectation each clip he plays is ever precocious and it is conscionable ultimate performances lately week successful and week out."

"His activity is incredible," adds O'Shannessy.

"His acceleration from nan first 2 aliases 3 steps helps him get to balls different players can't, and past besides his betterment retired of nan changeable is incredibly accelerated arsenic well.

"When I saw him up adjacent and individual for nan very first time, I was blown away. I didn't deliberation group could move that good connected a tennis court.

"He takes nan circuit to caller levels pinch what's imaginable pinch activity connected a court."

Being capable to expect a player's activity connected nan tribunal and nan type of shots they will astir apt play is cardinal to securing victory, which is why personification arsenic unpredictable arsenic Alcaraz is truthful difficult to play against.

Most players autumn into acquainted patterns of play and studying those becomes important successful attempting to unafraid nan edge.

"Gabriel Diallo is simply a feline I activity pinch and he was playing successful Majorca recently, and for his lucifer pinch Jaume Munar I sent a elaborate crippled scheme to him connected really to look him," says O'Shannessy.

"Things I'll usually show will see wherever nan serve's going, what benignant of service he likes to hit, and past wherever connected nan tribunal he's much susceptible to make errors, peculiarly forehand errors. Because they hap much often than thing else."

Another important battleground tin beryllium nan warm-up.

Rather than being - arsenic it whitethorn look to those watching - conscionable 2 players getting fresh for nan match, it besides presents an opportunity to spot really nan force will respond to definite types of shots.

"In nan warm-up you whitethorn want to disguise nan type of shots you want to hit," adds O'Shannessy.

“I deliberation it's astir apt much of an advantage astatine nan nine level because you don't needfully cognize nan force aliases person scouting connected them.

"So it's a really bully clip to deed them immoderate different balls, immoderate precocious balls, immoderate debased balls, immoderate accelerated balls, immoderate slice, and past show wherever they deed that."

Alcaraz heads to Wimbledon looking to complete a hat-trick of titles and, having won his past 18 matches successful a row, he is successful a beardown position to do conscionable that.

World number 1 Jannik Sinner - who mislaid retired to Alcaraz successful an epic French Open last earlier this period - will beryllium looking to extremity him, arsenic good arsenic Djokovic, nan runner-up successful nan past 2 Wimbledon finals.

But they will cognize they look a reliable task against a subordinate successful form.

"When he's connected it, he is nan astir complete subordinate of his property I person ever seen," Lloyd says of Alcaraz.

"You look astatine him already and he's nan vanished package."

Castle is likewise impressed, adding: "He is mounting caller standards on pinch Jannik Sinner, nan existent number one.

"The crippled is successful bully hands."