Legendary coach Rick Macci believes Carlos Alcaraz will revolutionize tennis coaching with his unique skill set and versatile playing style.
In an exclusive interview with Tennis-Infinity.com, seven-time USPTA national coach of the year and USPTA Florida Hall of Fame member Rick Macci discussed how Carlos Alcaraz is already changing the way tennis is both played and taught.
Macci observed Alcaraz's potential as a generational talent and predicted that his innovative approach to the game would have lasting effects on the sport. It's no secret that the recent Indian Wells champion is inspiring fellow ATP players to hit more drop shots and it's apparent from the statistics.
"I saw this like three years ago, and I've actually done some videos. He's a generational player, and he's going to transcend how people even teach the sport. It's almost like it's okay to do the drop shot more now."
Macci praised Alcaraz for popularizing the drop shot across various surfaces and noted how other players are now following suit. He believes that Alcaraz's success has led to a "copycat situation," with professionals integrating the drop shot into their game more frequently.
"Now I think people are not only teaching the game a little different, like the drop shots become more of a priority on any surface, but I think also the pros are adding that even more to their game because when someone is the leader in the clubhouse, and someone is at the top, it's always a copycat situation in any sport."
"And now that he's given the endorsement more people are doing it. So I think he's even changing how people teach the sport, not with just the drop shot, but all the versatility that he brings."
Beyond the drop shot, Macci emphasized the versatility Alcaraz brings to the sport. With his exceptional combination of speed, agility, and flexibility, Alcaraz can cover a substantial amount of ground on the court. Additionally, his ability to hit quality shots off quality returns sets him apart from other top players.
"The genetics there in this kid are very unique. Okay. He's quick, he's fast, he's mobile, he's agile, he's flexible. And I've watched this sport for a long time, his makeup speed, once he hits the gas pedal, is the fastest that's ever played the game once he gets going. So he can cover a lot of ground. Then the next part of that equation. Once he gets going, he can hit quality off of quality."
Alcaraz's solid foundation in both forehand and backhand techniques also stands out to Macci. He compared the young star's fundamental soundness to that of tennis legends Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic. This high-level technical skill, combined with Alcaraz's unique athletic attributes, makes him very difficult to beat for the opponents.
"He's been taught really well. What I mean is he obviously has the ATP forehand, his technique is high-level. There's no little flaw, like I could point out in a few other players, maybe in the Top 20 in the world."
"So the forehand, technically from a science point of view, great, the backhand is very technically sound also, there's nothing complicated going on there. So the two big ticket items, the forehand and backhand he's already fundamentally sound like Agassi or like Djokovic."
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