Carlos Alcaraz Discusses Difficulties With Trying To Change His Serve Technique
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Carlos Alcaraz has revealed he is ready to accept short-term pain at the Australian Open to make adjustments he believes will help his serve.
Alcaraz is six matches away from making history at the Australian Open. The 21-year-old will become the youngest man in tennis history to win the Calendar Grand Slam if he secures a maiden title in Melbourne.
Being so close to breaking such a prestigious record makes Alcaraz's previous comments about wanting to make history understandable. Last year's French Open winner has never made any attempts to hide how ambitious he is.
However, Novak Djokovic recently sent him a warning. The 24-time Grand Slam champion believes it is too early for Alcaraz to speak about making history and that he would be better served staying grounded and focused.
The young star might have gotten a welcome reality check during a practice session with Djokovic a few days before the Australian Open. He lost it 5-7 after the Serbian served better in the decisive moments.
Alcaraz comfortably won his opening-round match at the Australian Open in straight sets. The only issue he had during that 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 victory was struggles with his serve, especially in the second set.
While the world No. 3 was never in any danger of losing to Shevchenko, below-par serving performances might cost him later in the tournament, especially if his projected quarterfinal against Djokovic becomes a reality.
In a press conference after the match, Alcaraz described the new serving technique he is trying to implement with coaches Juan Carlos Ferrero and Samuel Lopez. They believe it will lead to improvement.
Alcaraz admitted to not serving overly well against Shevchenko but thinks the serve will eventually become more natural if he continues to work on it and play matches, although that could create immediate challenges.
"It was difficult for me today, it's easier during practice. Many things come to mind when I execute it and that's why it's a bit challenging for me. I will surely improve it and make it more natural. My overall tennis has been good; I need to get into competition rhythm."
"Regarding the serve, we decided not to pause in the motion to pick up the pace, there are great servers with different styles, but with Juan Carlos and Samuel, we decided to make some changes because we believe it will lead to improvement."
Alcaraz also discussed how he manages challenging moments during matches. Despite being an incredible player, the Spaniard has been known to sometimes unravel when he is not playing his best tennis.
The four-time Grand Slam champion said that is another area he is working on. He tries to stay focused, believing that his best tennis will eventually return and that getting upset will not improve things.
"It's something I'm working on. When I play well, I'm happy, but when I feel I'm declining I try to think about getting back to being good again and that I must stay focused because my good form will return. I try not to get upset and regain the rhythm, that's what I tried during the second set."
