"Alcaraz is the Rafa of the new generation" - says Patrick Mouratoglou
ATPSaturday, 30 July 2022 at 08:30
Updated at Saturday, 14 December 2024 at 22:58
Noted tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou took a closer look at Carlos Alcaraz, comparing him to Rafael Nadal and also analyzing whether the youngster could surpass the legend.
Nadal is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, as he's the only male tennis player that has won 22 Grand Slam titles. Therefore, any comparison to him is a high praise for any other ATP player, or anyone else in general.
When it comes to the rising star Carlos Alcaraz, Mouratoglou can certainly spot the similarities with Nadal but also the differences, as he recently compared the two Spaniards.
"Rafael Nadal has some of the best return stats to tour. He has won more return games than anyone else, and holds the highest percentage at 33.5%. But one player is topping Rafa on return stats this season, Carlos Alcaraz."
"Did you know that the Spaniard wins 51.8% of his return games when he wins the first point of the game? To put this in perspective, the tour's average on this data is 38.4%."
"Alcaraz also leads in return games won after the first two points with 77.8%, which is 5% more than Rafa. The tour average is 59.4%."
Obviously, Alcaraz's returning ability stands out, as he's able to put his opponents under pressure. But that's not the only aspect of his game that makes him stand out.
Mouratoglou also analyzed how Alcaraz can neutralize and later build up points, once again drawing comparison to Nadal
"Once in the rally, Alcaraz does a great job at neutralizing the point and gradually builds up to take control. A lot of people say that Alcaraz is the Rafa of the new generation of the players."
"But could he potentially surpass him? I think that's one of the most and solid players on tour right now, and that we will see him inside the top 5 very soon."
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