What changes are needed for Alcaraz?
- Thread starter MrFlip
- Start date
Hawks9451
Professional
He needs a brain transplant.
Too many UEs.
Move
Hall of Fame
But it is, executed well, a great way to disrupt the rythm of a baseliner to give a different contact point and to draw a shorter ball which than can be attacked. This again is a little piece of point construction which every Tour player should have is his arsenal
edit : see also #34
143 Entirely
New User
You have already answered. IMO, the biggest advantage of Novak Djokovic is his incredibly accurate timing, when to switch from defense to offensive play. He waits, waits, waits, waits and attacks on first reasonable oportunity. I get the impression that he does that better than everyone else. That's why his play seems the most rational for winning.
gamelovergold
Semi-Pro
Simple cut the no of UE . Way too many shots going wrong.
Stop playing for highlight reels.
Stop playing for highlight reels.
Vincent-C
Legend
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Rafa4LifeEver
G.O.A.T.
Serve & return.
The two most important shots in the entire tennis spectrum.
If you're standing behind the baseline by a distance, it is a sin to not make every return as deep & loopy as possible.
a10best
Legend
He may always be this way. I saw a few points.
- Alcaraz has a 0-30 lead on ND's serve at 5-4. Both returns are overhit deep when he could've hit them in to start the point. 30-all. Same ol, same ol'.
- 3rd set match point he hits a fh approach to ND's BH when ND is already in position for his best shot, a BH cross or he could go down the line.
Ray Mercer
Hall of Fame
They keep showing that point where Djokovic throws up a desperation lob and rather than hit an overhead Alcaraz waits for it to drop and hits a forehand. That was just dumb. I think Djokovic knows that as long as he just keeps the ball in play and plays the retriever game Alcaraz will donate errors. This strategy is perfect for the slow Australian night conditions. I don’t think that there’s any doubt that Sinner is better than Alcaraz from the baseline. Sinner will be much tougher for Djokovic.
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BallisticMissileFonseca
Semi-Pro
Tbh if I was as talented as he is, I'd do exact the same. Matter of fact, I'd talk more trash than Kyrgios lol
albertobra
Hall of Fame
That was really weird. Can't think of any other top 100 player that wouldn't have smashed that ball. Not only, the forehand he hit was college level, and just put Novak neutral in the point again.
Alcaraz needs urgently to built an efficent team
Fire Ferrero.
Though that rally was a treat to watch. Alcaraz should have won that at least 3 times during the rally and eventually he was fighting for neutrality in the rally. Can’t say he did much wrong apart from probably the overhead which he made a forehand, even that he did hit deep in backhand of Djokovic.
Ray Mercer
Hall of Fame
Federer or Nadal hit an overhead to win that point outright. You don’t let a mid court lob drop to hit a forehand. Even if the lob landed on the baseline Federer and and Nadal would have hit an overhead.
sportsfan1
Legend
Carlos has been able to use his mental strength in big points and momentum from crowd support to get big wins. But losses to lower ranked players combined with those against Djokovic here at the ao and the loss to Medvedev at the uso show there are issues with both level and game that opponents can exploit.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
His serve does no harm to players like Djokovic on this surface.
Furthermore, he should focus more on using a safe hitting tactic from the baseline like the Serb does and not go for the immediate winner.
Alcaraz ends up making rookie mistakes, he still has a lot to learn in his game.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
InsuranceMan
Hall of Fame
What in the cringe did I just readAlcaraz's match against Djokovic was very reminiscent of the Federer vs Djokovic matches of old.
Fed was a beach ball. Everybody loves a beach ball. It reminds them of the beach. And when encountered at the beach, it's a wonderful and fun experience that really encapsulates the leisurely activity of beach-going. The beach ball is the beach, and Fed is/was Tennis.
But what happens when that beach ball gets sucked out by the tide? Well. It's got nothing. It wont be coming back, at least not by its own effort. Alcaraz must be careful not to become a predetermined dimension. As popular as he is becoming, he must not allow himself to become tennis. If this happens, he'll become predictable.
Djokovic, on the other hand, never fit into the mold of the predictable. Because of this, he has never been seen as the amalgamation of "Tennis". Djokovic is a guy who raises the stakes. He doesn't care. He is the wave crashing down on the beach. Relentless. Strong. Overwhelming. Ever Changing. He is the tide that disposses you of your beach ball, your beach towel, your sunglasses, your flip flops. If Alcaraz is not careful, he'll just become another beach ball in the bay. Amounting to nothing more than litter in an ocean of nothingness. Sure you can beat the ocean at times. But not for very long.
There's no change that can meaningfully contribute to his chances of beating Djokovic when Djokovic is at his best. Except that he becomes like him in all the ways mentioned.
"To be formless like water".
lol - that’s your dear Nadal missing lob after lob after lob.
Stop overhyping a retired player. Lol
There is a similarly hilarious video of Federer.
Point is - stop dissecting one point or one game or 1 match. That doesn’t make a player bad or good.
Ray Mercer
Hall of Fame
Nadal has one of the best overheads of all time next to Federer. Your comment is ridiculous.
Vito Andolini
Rookie
Face transplant
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
That backhand by Nadal in the Australian Open final cost him the title or at least the chance to serve for the championship against his nemesis.
MrFlip
Professional
100% Alcaraz has no rally mode.His serve does no harm to players like Djokovic on this surface.
Furthermore, he should focus more on using a safe hitting tactic from the baseline like the Serb does and not go for the immediate winner.
Alcaraz ends up making rookie mistakes, he still has a lot to learn in his game.
Djokovic on the other hand, only he can perfect the art of rallying like he does, keeping it deep and consistent.
BlackSilver
Semi-Pro
Not really necessary.
jackson vile
G.O.A.T.
He’s still progressing and developing everything that’s needs it.
Yeah, I mean there's always scope to tighten up errors, but this was his least erratic performance yet against Djokovic on hard courts. By a pretty good margin. The trend is in the right direction.
And what I just said was more about - even the best fail in their best shots during important times too. Alcaraz not hitting a overhead in that rally, isn't as bad as being called here.
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
Besides what has been said, a better fh return when out wide is needed
InsideOut900
Legend
I have said it many times, his footwork and groundstokes are just don't syncronize. He almost never hits the ball cleanly or at the perfect time and it affects both shot power and shot consistency, especially from the FH side.
I have no clue how someone can fix their footwork, but he needs to take the Thiem route with shorter FH swing and also try to improve his spot serving.
I have no clue how someone can fix their footwork, but he needs to take the Thiem route with shorter FH swing and also try to improve his spot serving.
chjtennis
G.O.A.T.
One thing he didn't do well was attacking Djokovic's second serve, so his return could improve. Also, if he mixes things up a bit more, his heavy topspin would be more effective. In the QF v Djokovic, he was just banging the ball hard all the time, and Djokovic just needed to stand close to the baseline and half-volley them. Had Raz thrown in some short, slow slices, and deep, looping high topspins, Novak would've found it very difficult to time the ball.
Succession
Semi-Pro
Haha, I so agree. This loss has changed something for me and my belief in Raz’ abilities to master hardcourts in the most intelligent way going forward. Maybe it’s really time for a new coach. Andy Murray would be a great guy to sharpen his tactical abilities. I see no HC progress under JCF
No doubting the talent. He has what it takes but it looks like finally someone in the Alcaraz camp (the father) has woken up and said enough is enough with the coaching staff.
JCF is long past his sell by date.
Succession
Semi-Pro
You mean someone has woken up or should wake up?
They should, but there are also reports that Papacaraz is displeased with the crossroads Carlos is at.
JCF was slated to leave by 2023 but now it seems like he will. I hope the rumors are true!
Succession
Semi-Pro
I am not sure he needs the rally mode
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