Former World No. 1 Stan Smith would like to see Carlos Alcaraz get less distracted by highlight plays during matches.
The young Spaniard is one of the most electric players we've ever seen in tennis and much of that has to do with the way he plays the sport. Former ATP player Mats Wilander often praises him, frequently calling him both the most exciting player and possibly the most important player in tennis at the moment.
It's no wonder because he truly is a special player. What makes him so magnetic is his smile, which never leaves his face while he plays, and his plentiful highlight plays.
Even at the age of 21, Alcaraz has a compilation of tremendous highlight plays that even veteran tennis players would not mind having. He is simply capable of producing magic on the tennis courts, but part of that also comes from his willingness to go for it.
It became clear early in his career that he doesn't mind going above and beyond to win a point and that a risky approach will frequently yield a superb shot. It is a double-edged sword because it is great when it works, but sometimes it doesn't work, and then it can backfire.
What makes somebody like Novak Djokovic so great is that he is truly no-nonsense out there. When he plays tennis, every rally matters, and every point matters, and he is like a cyborg smashing players ruthlessly.
That ruthlessness leads to numbers like 24 Grand Slams, which Alcaraz hopes to achieve. So far in his career, he hasn't really suffered too much because of his affinity for the highlight play, as he has four Grand Slams at the age of 21.
In fact, he has a chance to become the man with the most Grand Slams before the age of 22, and he will get that milestone if he wins either the US Open or the Australian Open.
Still, former player Stan Smith would like to see Alcaraz stop being distracted during matches, as he revealed recently when talking to Gazzetta Dello Sport, speak about both Jannik Sinner and the young Spaniard.
"In my opinion, both are very good players, however, Sinner needs to continue working on his serve, where he has already improved a lot. He also has a good opportunity to improve in the volleying area. As for Carlos, he is sometimes subject to moments that I would call distraction."
Smith has a fair point because, ideally, a player's focus should be on being a clinical finisher like Djokovic. On the other hand, occasionally making those highlight plays is simply what makes Alcaraz the player he is.
He would give up a huge part of his identity should he lose that. He has been on record about knowing that he shouldn't do it, but sometimes, it just happens.
According to his own words, It relaxes him a little bit. Still, it's not the end of the world, according to Smith, who considers him a standout for his speed, physical strength, and shot variety.
"Carlos stands out for his speed, physical strength and variety of shots. They represent both the present and the future of tennis and will establish a lasting rivalry."
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