What is Alcaraz best surface?

What is Alcaraz best surface?

  • Hard

    Votes: 22 31.9%

  • Clay

    Votes: 22 31.9%

  • Grass

    Votes: 25 36.2%
  • Total voters
    69
H

Hyde

Semi-Pro
He has won a Wimbledon title and a US Open title. He reached the semi final at French Open and another US Open semi this year. He also went 12-0 on grass this year (beating 7 times Wimbledon champion Djokovic in top form). He has his most tournament wins on clay (but he also plays this surface the most).

So what is Alcaraz best surface?
 
Too early to say I think. He has surface versatility which is one of the reasons, apart from his actual game, he is highly likely to win more titles than most.
Grass was the only question mark until this year when he showed he does indeed have the game for it.
He was out with injury last year but he did win the Next Gen finals on Indoor hard in 2021.
So far there isn’t a surface you can say he struggles on.
 
Have to say HC. He’s so tiny that on clay you might lose him due to too much dirt coverage and he can get lost amongst taller blades of grass(same for shaggy carpet)
 
He is so young and still developing his skills. But thus far, his credentials seem well rounded. Sticking to titles won / finals reached:

Hard: USO 2022; Miami 2022; Indian Wells 2023; Cincinnati final 2023
Clay: Rio 2022; Barcelona 2022; Madrid 2022; Umag final 2022; Hamburg final 2022; Argentina Open 2023; Rio Final 2023; Barcelona 2023 and Madrid 2023
Grass: Queens 2023 and Wimbledon 2023

I look forward to seeing how he develops his skills on all surfaces, having already shown that he can excel on all 3.
 
Hyde said:
He has won a Wimbledon title and a US Open title. He reached the semi final at French Open and another US Open semi this year. He also went 12-0 on grass this year (beating 7 times Wimbledon champion Djokovic in top form). He has his most tournament wins on clay (but he also plays this surface the most).

So what is Alcaraz best surface?
Click to expand...
HC
Preferably high bouncing
 
Clay. Because clay has specialist. On hc too much competition for him. Rune Sinner Medvedev even Zverev can be in the mix.

For clay, he has no competition. That Ruud guy is not even tier 2 player. Tsitsipas has lost his edge.
 
I am going to say clay is his most natural surface but that’s not to say that he is less competent on the other surfaces. He is kind of the spiritual successor to Nadal:
 
nolefam_2024 said:
7 out of his 12 titles are already on clay and probably would be more if he was not injured in Rio.

We will see. He is not Nadal level skewed thank goodness but he will have a heavy skew I predict.
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I think it’s important to look at how he won those other titles

Is there any issue in his game that would make him better suited for one surface or another, I don’t see it as of yet.

His majors will be very well diversified as a result
 
jackson vile said:
I think it’s important to look at how he won those other titles

Is there any issue in his game that would make him better suited for one surface or another, I don’t see it as of yet.

His majors will be very well diversified as a result
Click to expand...
I understand. We need to see as a whole and need more data.
 
Clay.is the only surface where he never won a Major.

Alcaraz' best surfaces:

1. Hard.
2. Grass.
3. Clay.

Not the same achievements outside Slams, than achievements in Slams. He hasn't proven his level on clay at Slams to be on par with hard and grass yet.
 
Very small data pts for sure. His game is 100% going to succeed on clay. The kick serve, the loopy forehands (he can crush the ball as well but that almost any of his rivals can do better than him tbh ), the speed and stamina.

All of that is going to heavily favor him on clay while on grass and hard courts his weaknesses will be exploited. But we will see in future.
 
Alcaraz's game is most powerful on grass, it rewards his risk-taking, so grass is his best surface.
He's going to win a truckload of Wimbledons.
And we don't know if he's solved his cramp issue, and clay will expose that the most, especially RG.
 
He is called tiny for a reason.


See how natural he is on clay and his movement. His dropshots will be hugely effective again..

Last year Raz missed AO and then won IW which is on slower side of the tour. Then he lost in Miami but bounced back right on clay when the guy went nuclear till RG semifinals. He dominates the slower courts while still being a threat on others. But as evidences will gather up and players get more experienced vs him, he will likely be in trouble on faster courts.
 
nolefam_2024 said:
7 out of his 12 titles are already on clay and probably would be more if he was not injured in Rio.

We will see. He is not Nadal level skewed thank goodness but he will have a heavy skew I predict.
Click to expand...

Before 28 one slam on natural surface after 28 9 slams, that's the real skew in all sports , milking the weakest competition ever. Just one slam lol
 
Last edited:
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Sport said:
Clay.is the only surface where he never won a Major.

Alcaraz' best surfaces:

1. Hard.
2. Grass.
3. Clay.

Not the same achievements outside Slams, than achievements in Slams. He hasn't proven his level on clay at Slams to be on par with hard and grass yet.
Click to expand...
If RG/Wim were reversed on the calendar it's realistic that he would've cramped against Novak at Wimbledon and then come back mentally stronger to win RG instead.

I don't think those results were proof of skill on those surfaces.
 
He looks good everywhere right now, except when the roof comes over.

The guy is a monster on clay, just because he hasn't won RG doesn't mean clay is not his best surface. He cramped last year, which played a massive part in him losing.
 
Hitman said:
He looks good everywhere right now, except when the roof comes over.

The guy is a monster on clay, just because he hasn't won RG doesn't mean clay is not his best surface. He cramped last year, which played a massive part in him losing.
Click to expand...

Agreed...he is incredible on clay and I think he might end up with more RG titles than any other slam. Time will tell.
 
Shaolin said:
Agreed...he is incredible on clay and I think he might end up with more RG titles than any other slam. Time will tell.
Click to expand...

Yes, you are probably right. I will not be surprised in the slightest if he wins RG this year, I personally have him as fav.

Last year he was butchering the players heading into the semis. The occasion got to him, it won't happen again, as he stepped up against Novak since one month later.
 
Hitman said:
Yes, you are probably right. I will not be surprised in the slightest if he wins RG this year, I personally have him as fav.

Last year he was butchering the players heading into the semis. The occasion got to him, it won't happen again, as he stepped up against Novak since one month later.
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Butchering is the right word. Every single naysayer is in for a rude awakening when alcaraz will step on clay.
 
This question is tough but I think he can sometimes struggle on hard court and clay when he lacks patience and tries to end points with low percentage shots. That's really the only reason I voted grass here
 
Hitman said:
Has Raz played MC before? I can't remember.
Click to expand...
Only once in 2022 where he lost in his opening match to Korda. He had reached the semis in IW and won Miami that year and I seem to remember the feeling was having gone deep in both Masters, it was a mistake to play MC, so he skipped it last year. If he goes deep in Miami now, maybe he will skip MC again
 
For a while there, Nadal was the best in all three surfaces. At WB, he beat Federer in '08 and won again in '10. He beat Federer again at AO in '09, and Djokovic at UO in '10. So at end of '10, he was unbeatable by all.

Alcaraz is nowhere near what Nadal was at end of '10.
 
SonnyT said:
For a while there, Nadal was the best in all three surfaces. At WB, he beat Federer in '08 and won again in '10. He beat Federer again at AO in '09, and Djokovic at UO in '10. So at end of '10, he was unbeatable by all.

Alcaraz is nowhere near what Nadal was at end of '10.
Click to expand...
In '08 when Nadal beat Federer in WB Nadal was already 22 years of age, Alcaraz is still only 20 right now.

The sample size is simply too small yet to tell which surface is his best. Only time will tell.
 
SonnyT said:
For a while there, Nadal was the best in all three surfaces. At WB, he beat Federer in '08 and won again in '10. He beat Federer again at AO in '09, and Djokovic at UO in '10. So at end of '10, he was unbeatable by all.

Alcaraz is nowhere near what Nadal was at end of '10.
Click to expand...
You can compare him when he turns 24 in 2027.
It is unfair and illogical that you want to downplay his marks when Alcaraz is just beginning his path to tennis glory.
:whistle:
 
nolefam_2024 said:
It's perfect surface for him. Even Stan won there. It's heaven for big hitters and Raz can move far better than Stan.
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Remember Sinner almost beat Zverev there 2 years ago with blistered feet. And Zverev beat Alcaraz at RG that same year. He won’t beat him so easily. I can see Sinner beating him again on clay
 
@nolefam_2024 Sinner and Alcaraz will be the top performers on clay this year. If baby Sinner nearly defeated peak Zverev in 2022 I’m highly optimistic about him on clay this year.
 
dking68 said:
@nolefam_2024 Sinner and Alcaraz will be the top performers on clay this year. If baby Sinner nearly defeated peak Zverev in 2022 I’m highly optimistic about him on clay this year.
Click to expand...
You might be very wrong because there is no such thing as peak zverev.

Zverev can make anyone look great or mediocre and its not even in Zverev's hands. Most erratic top player I have ever seen. Please don't use Zverev to gauge level.
 
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