Steffi Graff’s former coach Heinz Günthardt reckons Carlos Alcaraz can’t do everything on the court and he could improve his net play in the future to be more successful but he doesn’t need to necessarily do that as he has a potent game from the baseline.
Alcaraz, 20, has taken the tennis world by storm with his lightning athleticism. The Spaniard has already won US Open 2022 and Wimbledon 2023 in his young career and he has shown all the skills to be the next big thing in the sport.
Heinz Günthardt said in an interview with German news platform Tennis Magazin, “But he [Alcaraz] can’t do everything either. His net game can be improved. He’s so strong from the back that he doesn’t need classic attacking balls. But Rafael Nadal also won his first French Open from the baseline with a lot of racing. There are many opportunities.”
“You don’t have to be able to do everything to be a good tennis player. In English it is called “The Art of Reduction”. If you can play simply, it’s easier to repeat. You have to know what you can do – and what you can’t do. If you can use what you can as often as possible, you’re playing well.“
Meanwhile, earlier many tennis boffins opined that it would be difficult for youngsters to rule the roost in Men’s tennis. However, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have come up with consistent performances at the top level.
“A few years ago everyone said: “It’s impossible to be at the top of the men’s ranks as a teenager. Tennis has become too athletic!” And now? It wasn’t impossible, we just didn’t have the right teenager. Now there are Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Luca van Assche !”
“That’s the great thing about tennis: it can’t be captured. Everyone thinks they know how things work – but no one does! Exceptional players don’t exist all the time, otherwise, they wouldn’t be exceptional. So sometimes you have a hole. But that doesn’t mean that something is impossible. Even after my long time in tennis, I can say that I don’t understand this sport.”
Carlos Alcaraz will play the round of 32 in the Paris Masters on Tuesday.
