By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Photograph credit score: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his clay-court return getting his toes soiled.
Alcaraz tore by seven straight video games stopping Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 to soar to his first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters victory as we speak.
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After a subpar Sunshine Double that noticed Alcaraz look flat falling to Jack Draper at Indian Wells earlier than struggling a surprising opening loss to David Goffin in Miami, the 21-year-old Spaniard appeared keen and excited to return to crimson clay.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Alcaraz has received 13 of his final 14 clay-court matches together with his lone loss in that span coming towards Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic within the Paris Olympic gold-medal match performed at Roland Garros final summer season.
Alcaraz stated the 2 issues he misses most about clay are combating by bodily factors—and the very fact the serve shouldn’t be as dominant a shot on filth as it’s on exhausting court docket.
“I believe [I miss] the powerful battles, and as I say, you understand, the serve shouldn’t be as necessary most likely as on exhausting court docket, so I believe that is fairly good for me,” Alcaraz informed the media in Monte-Carlo. “You understand, I believe we taking part in, you understand, nearly each level, so we are able to make quite a lot of factors or free factors with the serve, in order that’s make develop the purpose much more than most likely different floor.”
The actual fact the speedy Spaniard is arguably the very best mover within the sport on pure surfaces—clay and grass—can also be an asset on filth.
In his Sunshine Double defeats, Alcaraz generally struggled on serve.
Although Alcaraz can blast 130 mph-plus first-serves, can serve with hellacious spin and dots all areas of the field, he clocked in at solely No. 30 on the ATP Tour in first-serve factors received in 2024 (73 %) and was No. 12 within the very important service video games received class (85.4 %).
That’s low for a four-time Grand Slam champion of Alcaraz’s caliber.
In distinction, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was No. 1 in service video games received (91.4 %) and was second in first-serve factors received (79.3 %) final 12 months.
The 21-year-old Spanish celebrity confirmed his damaging return recreation as we speak. Alcaraz transformed six of eight break factors and received 12 of 14 factors performed on Cerundolo’s serve in that shutout second set as we speak.
Alcaraz stated he is missed clay-court play as a result of he views it as “actual tennis” slightly than the serve plus one type so prevalent on exhausting court docket.
“Yeah, lengthy rallies, you understand, get the socks soiled slightly bit. You understand, that is what I miss, to look at good tennis,” Alcaraz informed the media in Monte-Carlo. “I believe, you understand, on clay you’ll be able to watch the actual tennis, as a result of as I stated, it is not solely watching, you understand, huge serves or no matter, or factors, you understand, and only one or two pictures.
“On clay you see lengthy rallies. For instance, yesterday, 48 rallies. That is what I like, watching tennis and taking part in right here on clay.”
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