By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Picture credit score: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his clay-court return getting his ft 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 at present.
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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 purple clay.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Alcaraz has received 13 of his final 14 clay-court matches along 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 mentioned the 2 issues he misses most about clay are combating by bodily factors—and the very fact the serve is just not as dominant a shot on grime as it’s on arduous courtroom.
“I feel [I miss] the powerful battles, and as I say, you recognize, the serve is just not as necessary in all probability as on arduous courtroom, so I feel that is fairly good for me,” Alcaraz informed the media in Monte-Carlo. “You already know, I feel we enjoying, you recognize, nearly each level, so we will make plenty of factors or free factors with the serve, in order that’s make develop the purpose much more than in all probability different floor.”
The very fact the speedy Spaniard is arguably one of the best mover within the sport on pure surfaces—clay and grass—can also be an asset on grime.
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 p.c) and was No. 12 within the very important service video games received class (85.4 p.c).
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 p.c) and was second in first-serve factors received (79.3 p.c) final 12 months.
The 21-year-old Spanish famous person confirmed his damaging return sport at present. Alcaraz transformed six of eight break factors and received 12 of 14 factors performed on Cerundolo’s serve in that shutout second set at present.
Alcaraz mentioned he is missed clay-court play as a result of he views it as “actual tennis” fairly than the serve plus one model so prevalent on arduous courtroom.
“Yeah, lengthy rallies, you recognize, get the socks soiled just a little bit. You already know, that is what I miss, to look at good tennis,” Alcaraz informed the media in Monte-Carlo. “I feel, you recognize, on clay you’ll be able to watch the actual tennis, as a result of as I mentioned, it isn’t solely watching, you recognize, huge serves or no matter, or factors, you recognize, and only one or two photographs.
“On clay you see lengthy rallies. For instance, yesterday, 48 rallies. That is what I like, watching tennis and enjoying right here on clay.”
