Alcaraz Should Look To Federer For Inspiration Says Serena Williams' Former Coach
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Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, notices similarities between Carlos Alcaraz's and Roger Federer's actions as young players and argues that the Spaniard can learn from how Federer later adapted.
Any criticism of Alcaraz sometimes feels harsh because of his achievements as a young player. The 21-year-old is already a four-time Grand Slam champion, including the French Open and Wimbledon titles during the 2024 season.
Some, such as John McEnroe, believe Alcaraz is the most talented 21-year-old ever to play tennis. He possesses a complete game, including excellent volleying, that has become less prominent in the era of powerful baseline hitters.
Despite Alcaraz's superb talent, he can sometimes be inconsistent. The world No. 3 is a natural showman who enjoys interacting with the crowd and smiling on the court. That can lead to him attempting audacious shots during matches.
Those risks often pay off because of Alcaraz's supreme talent. However, that tendency has also cost him in some matches when it would be better to dig in and grind out victories against resilient opponents.
Former French Open semifinalist and respected analyst Andrea Petkovic thinks Alcaraz's peak level is superior to his rival and current ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner's, but the Italian possesses greater consistency.
Petkovic went even further in further comments about Alcaraz. The German says Alcaraz's level becomes horrendous when he struggles on the court, which Sinner and Djokovic avoid during their matches.
Roger Federer was also extremely talented as a young player, although he did not enjoy the same level of success as Alcaraz in his early years. The Swiss maestro's first major title was at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, a month before his 22nd birthday.
Federer developed a reputation for being cool and calm on the court later in his career. That contrasts sharply with the anger and meltdowns he would sometimes have as a young player, meaning it took him a while to fulfill his potential.
Speaking on an episode of her podcast, Stubbs thinks Alcaraz can learn from Federer going from just being flashy to wanting to win important matches on the biggest stages by being focused and ruthless.
"Roger was a little bit like (Carlos Alcaraz) as well, like a little flashy, a little bit over the top, you know, and then he's like, I wanna win these matches, so I probably should just hit that forehand in and crosscourt."
Stubbs also argues that Alcaraz's similar height to Federer means he should look to him as inspiration for improving his serve. That is the weakest part of Alcaraz's game, while Federer had one of the best serves in tennis history considering his height.
"(Alcaraz) is not a big guy. He is like my height, he's like 5'10, 5'11. He needs to develop a little bit of a flatter surf, and I think he needs to develop his surf better, and he needs to hit his spots better, right? I mean, Roger wasn't a big guy."
"But he could hit the corners like nobody else. And I think Carlos needs to get his accuracy with his serving better. And if he doesn't hit the corners better, he's not getting free points."
