Carlos Alcaraz has ‘a drop shot from outer space,’ says former Serena Williams coach
Rick Massi, Serena Williams’ former coach, says Carlos Alcaraz is unlike anything we’ve seen in tennis before.
Alcaraz only turned 20 this year, but she has already won the US Open title and the Wimbledon title. The most impressive thing about the latter was that he had to defeat Novak Djokovic on Center Court. This is something that has seemed almost impossible for anyone else in recent years.
Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals, and the Serb, not the Spaniard, will lead the world rankings at the end of the year.
But Massi says everyone should be prepared for a great journey when they see the start of Alcaraz’s career.
“Alcaraz…I’ve never seen anything like this,” Massi said on the Match Point Canada podcast. “I’ve never seen it before.
“I tell everyone, he’s a combination of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Agassi rolled into one.” He has unparalleled make speed. As soon as he gets into gear, his turbo speed is amazing.
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“He has a drop shot from outer space. As a kid, he missed more drop shots than anyone else who plays tennis because he tried so hard. Those who coached him said that didn’t discourage him.
“I think he’s going to win that many Grand Slams, but that’s not realistic. He’s by far the leader in the clubhouse, in my opinion.”
Carlos Alcaraz compared to the greats
Of course, Massi is not the first to compare Carlos Alcaraz to tennis greats. Just because of his nationality, he has been compared to Rafael Nadal since childhood.
However, there is a growing recognition in the tennis world that Alcaraz is a truly special player, with both elite athleticism and a range of strokes that even the most experienced players cannot match.
After the Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic himself was full of praise for Alcaraz.
“I think over the last 12 months or so people have been talking about how his game is made up of certain elements of Roger, Rafa and me.” I agree with that. Agree. I think basically he has the best of all three worlds,” Djokovic said.
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“He has mental resilience and real maturity for a 20-year-old.” That’s pretty impressive. He has the competitive spirit, fighting spirit of a Spanish bull, and the incredible defensive spirit we’ve seen from Rafa over the years.
“And he has a great, fluid backhand movement, and I think there are some similarities to my backhand movement. Yeah, two-handed backhand, defensive ability, adaptability. .I think this is my personal strength over the years, and he has it too.
To be honest, I have never played against a player like him. Roger and Rafa each have their strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adaptability. I believe that is the key to longevity and all-round career success.”
Djokovic’s continued presence and level on the ATP Tour will benefit Alcaraz in a number of ways.
Not only will he have to strive for a special level to compete with Djokovic, but Djokovic’s presence will temper expectations for a while and allow Alcaraz to develop without adding additional pressure. Dew.
No matter what happens, I don’t think many will disagree with Massi’s assessment of Alcaraz because of his impact on tennis.
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