So do we believe Alcaraz has hit his prime yet?

Third Serve

Talk Tennis Guru
He’s certainly developed a new sense of consistency this year. Already several solid tournaments for him and he took home a channel Slam. This Wimbledon final may even be the best Slam match he’s played to date, even if Djokovic wasn’t exactly the best opponent.

Of course, he’s still pretty young at age 21. Do we think he still has another gear to go up at this point in his career or is this the level we should be used to seeing for the next four or five years at least?
 

The Blond Blur

G.O.A.T.
He’s definitely an early bloomer like RAFA. So for me he’s been in his prime since 2022. Physically speaking this is going to be as fast as he’s going to get and I think he’s finished growing. So he’s maxed out at 5’11 which is going to limit his serve from getting too much better I think. He’s also the most polished player I’ve seen at this age. I think the areas he has the most room to improve in are shot selection and shot tolerance still. He’ll have to get better at playing percentage based tennis to become more consistent and improve his overall longevity. I’m definitely worried about his frequent injuries though. Specifically his elbow appears to be the “problem child”. He’s already missed a good amount of time due to his small frame and reckless playing style.
 

TennisCJC

Legend
Carlos is close to prime but not quite. He will target his serve better and get more consistency from the baseline in the future. I think his decision making will also improve. He might be the most advanced 21 year old player I've ever seen though. He has a complete game and can hurt you in a variety of ways.
 

onlytheball

New User
He’s definitely an early bloomer like RAFA. So for me he’s been in his prime since 2022. Physically speaking this is going to be as fast as he’s going to get and I think he’s finished growing. So he’s maxed out at 5’11 which is going to limit his serve from getting too much better I think. He’s also the most polished player I’ve seen at this age. I think the areas he has the most room to improve in are shot selection and shot tolerance still. He’ll have to get better at playing percentage based tennis to become more consistent and improve his overall longevity. I’m definitely worried about his frequent injuries though. Specifically his elbow appears to be the “problem child”. He’s already missed a good amount of time due to his small frame and reckless playing style.
If he is not hampered by injuries, it stands to reason that he will be able to develop further physical capacity by working on his somatic conditioning etc. Also, biological adolescence tends to end in the mid twenties for the vast majority of men so he will experience some further maturation, possibly even a little extra height. He can also develop his mental and spiritual capabilities further too. We saw Djokovic do this himself and it is in the very best athletes /competitors to bring some extra "non rational " element. The joker did/does it consciously whereas fed, for example, just seems to be touched by grace - part of the guys lovability was his quality of goofy obliviousness. Murray perhaps not - the guy is just a mortal who sacrificed his body in order to be able to run a couple of seasons with the gods. Alcaraz didn't get this good so young by not knowing how to apply himself more effectively than most of the opposition - I think it is realistic to assume he will improve at this point. I doubt he envisages himself stagnating. If he believes further growth is possible, it'll probably come. Unless of course he gets injured or develops a taste for doing the housework on meth.
 

The Blond Blur

G.O.A.T.
If he is not hampered by injuries, it stands to reason that he will be able to develop further physical capacity by working on his somatic conditioning etc. Also, biological adolescence tends to end in the mid twenties for the vast majority of men so he will experience some further maturation, possibly even a little extra height. He can also develop his mental and spiritual capabilities further too. We saw Djokovic do this himself and it is in the very best athletes /competitors to bring some extra "non rational " element. The joker did/does it consciously whereas fed, for example, just seems to be touched by grace - part of the guys lovability was his quality of goofy obliviousness. Murray perhaps not - the guy is just a mortal who sacrificed his body in order to be able to run a couple of seasons with the gods. Alcaraz didn't get this good so young by not knowing how to apply himself more effectively than most of the opposition - I think it is realistic to assume he will improve at this point. I doubt he envisages himself stagnating. If he believes further growth is possible, it'll probably come. Unless of course he gets injured or develops a taste for doing the housework on meth.
That’s a big IF.
 

a10best

Legend
He is almost there.
In the final he showed:
- his strokes now have both huge pace and control.
- he hit a huge deuce side kick second serve at 110mph that Djokovic could not handle.

He can volley like Edberg. He can drop shot you as good as 03-08 Fed.
His speed is better than Monfis or Chang's.
He can stretch & slide into a shot just as good Djokovic before his very minor knee procedure.
 
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dkmura

Professional
Beyond his capacity for personal growth, we should consider the coaching and support Alcaraz has put together. If his focus remains as sharp as today and his ego doesn't get outta control, he seems to have the chance to continue improving. Taking advantage of all that support (and technology) should see him continue to rise. Motivation may become his biggest limitation.
 

Juice4080

Semi-Pro
If you're good enough to win a slam you're definitely in your prime. He's an early bloomer. He will also lose his athleticism fairly quickly but that will be made up with even better fitness and tennis IQ. Overall he should stay around his current level for quite some time. May get slightly better/worse
 
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legcramp

Professional
He is almost there.
In the final he showed:
- his strokes now have both huge pace and control.
- he hit a huge deuce side kick second serve at 110mph that Djokovic could not handle.

He can volley like Edberg. He can drop shot you as good as 03-08 Fed.
His speed is better than Monfis or Chang's.
He can stretch slide just as good Djokovic before his very minor knee procedure.
Sounds like a monster.
 

BauerAlmeida

Hall of Fame
He's pretty close to it if he's not on it already. He can improve but he's getting there pretty much, he's an early bloomer. We won't see the kind of improvement Federer had in 2004 or Djokovic in 2011.
 
He’s certainly developed a new sense of consistency this year. Already several solid tournaments for him and he took home a channel Slam. This Wimbledon final may even be the best Slam match he’s played to date, even if Djokovic wasn’t exactly the best opponent.

Of course, he’s still pretty young at age 21. Do we think he still has another gear to go up at this point in his career or is this the level we should be used to seeing for the next four or five years at least?
Hmm, well I’ve been told that Djokovic from 2007 to 2010 was baby Djokovic and that 2006 and 2007 was Babydal, so I suppose the answer is no
 

TennisCJC

Legend
Medvedev enters his prime, once he retires?
Medvedev is around 27-28 and I think time is running out for him. He has about 2 more great years and then he's decline. Decline meaning he can still win a tourney here and there and make SF and quarters at majors but he will not be a threat to win a major in 3 years time.
 

Razer

G.O.A.T.
No one has any clue. That’s why we spend so much time in these threads :unsure: ;)

A 2 slam year can be considered as prime, so Alcaraz is definitely in his prime now, but not at his peak, we will see him more ruthless next year when he will be 22 and the year after that when he will be 23, and after that when he is 24, and after that when he will be 25, so there are some peak years left for Alcaraz, we will see him raise hell from 2025 till 2028 despite he being a teenage prodigy, his peaks years are not going anywhere.

Now you would ask me whether all 2 slam years for everyone is prime or not, that would be a problematic question, because this means Nadal 2022, Djokovic 2023, Federer 2017 would all be in their prime. So how do we define prime ? @The Blond Blur ? Is it based on physicality alone? Like when a person is physically mature he is in his prime and when he is declining then past his prime? or is it 1st slam to last slam ? or 1st 2 slam season to last ?
 

Alcawrath

Professional
He will also lose his athleticism fairly quickly but that will be made up with even better fitness and tennis IQ.
Agree with the IQ and fitness improving, but his athleticism should also improve a little. If you look at other sports athleticism does not fall off after 21. Most NFL wide receivers are more athletic in their pro career (doesn't usually even begin until 21 or 22) than when they were in college. I wouldn't expect his athleticism to begin to fall off until around 28 or beyond unless he makes poor training choices or deals with an injury.
 

Third Serve

Talk Tennis Guru
I think his tennis IQ can definitely improve. Shot selection and consistency are both things that can get better with the right coaching and determination to improve. Physically, I think he’s already at his best, like Nadal was back in 2006/2007.
 

The Blond Blur

G.O.A.T.
A 2 slam year can be considered as prime, so Alcaraz is definitely in his prime now, but not at his peak, we will see him more ruthless next year when he will be 22 and the year after that when he will be 23, and after that when he is 24, and after that when he will be 25, so there are some peak years left for Alcaraz, we will see him raise hell from 2025 till 2028 despite he being a teenage prodigy, his peaks years are not going anywhere.

Now you would ask me whether all 2 slam years for everyone is prime or not, that would be a problematic question, because this means Nadal 2022, Djokovic 2023, Federer 2017 would all be in their prime. So how do we define prime ? @The Blond Blur ? Is it based on physicality alone? Like when a person is physically mature he is in his prime and when he is declining then past his prime? or is it 1st slam to last slam ? or 1st 2 slam season to last ?
Yeah it’s pretty simple, just because Gabe has no idea what he’s talking about doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t, lol. There’s a reason people have been saying the #LostGen and #NextGen should have taken over when they were in their early-mid 20’s. Prime is just specifically referring to one’s physical state/capabilities. And going further than that, peak is a player at the absolute height of his physical abilities combined with his playing and tactical skills.

Winning a lot in spite of being severely declined is a reflection of how poor the level of competition is.
 
I think his tennis IQ can definitely improve. Shot selection and consistency are both things that can get better with the right coaching and determination to improve. Physically, I think he’s already at his best, like Nadal was back in 2006/2007.

Yeah he could definitely win points more easily and thus without having to run that much with smarter shot selection.
 

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
Not even close to his prime yet. Still a lot of growing to do, which has been the scary part of such a young player that has a very solid team. Same with Sinner, who I think actually has made much more progress than Alcz, and is more coachable overall.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
He’s certainly developed a new sense of consistency this year. Already several solid tournaments for him and he took home a channel Slam. This Wimbledon final may even be the best Slam match he’s played to date, even if Djokovic wasn’t exactly the best opponent.

Of course, he’s still pretty young at age 21. Do we think he still has another gear to go up at this point in his career or is this the level we should be used to seeing for the next four or five years at least?
If he's defeated at the USO, will he be in a "prime" at that point? Or are some living in the moment and overestimating him?
 
I think his tennis IQ can definitely improve. Shot selection and consistency are both things that can get better with the right coaching and determination to improve. Physically, I think he’s already at his best, like Nadal was back in 2006/2007.
Tio Toni would be a good coach for him—he would play more boring type percentage tennis, but it would be ruthlessly efficient.
 
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