This one goes to 11…
No player at the US Open turns up the volume like Carlos Alcaraz, the charismatic Spaniard with the bulletproof game.
He’s got all the tools in his bag, all the tricks up his sleeve and all the power to burn, but what is the true essence of the defending men’s singles champion? He’s got a lot of weapons—maybe every weapon—but which one stands out above the rest?
Opinions vary. With Alcaraz, it’s difficult to pick just one—there are myriad.
He’s got the wickedest drop shots on tour, a flame-throwing forehand, jaw-dropping foot speed, an unquenchable will to win and a backhand that can burn you to a crisp.
“He has a multitude of weapons,” Emilio Sanchez, former world No.7 and 1988 US Open quarterfinalist says with a knowing laugh. “He uses the four squares of the court so well, in every one of those squares he can play with different speeds. That is possible thanks to his mobility.”
For the Madrid native, it is Alcaraz’s divine footwork that sets him apart.
“I think the footwork is outstanding because he’s like floating,” Sanchez tells USOpen.org. “He’s so active in between shots. If you are looking at his shots, because he’s so spectacular, you won’t realize how well he’s moving. If I have to choose, probably I would choose the mobility that allows him to do the variety on his shots.”
Sneakers squealing, body a blur, Alcaraz races to all corners of the court like a Tasmanian devil with a racquet. Maybe movement is his secret weapon, after all.
Shane Linayage, a tennis analytics guru who works with top players, including Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur, concurs. “If I had to pick one, I think his movement is second-to-none,” he says.
Linayage says the supercharged Spaniard is backed by science.
“I’ve got data here to back that up. His high-intensity direction changes—velocity into a change and velocity out—is the best on the men’s tour. In terms of raw speed and power and velocity, Carlos is No.1.”
That’s the beauty of Alcaraz. You don’t have to choose just one weapon. You can have the kit—and the caboodle. Some players are one-trick ponies relying on the golden goose to make their way up the rankings.
Not the man they call Carlitos.
Former world No.6 Jose Higueras, says Alcaraz’s biggest weapon is… everything.
“From my perspective, his overall game is his biggest weapon," he said. "Sure he has a great forehand and good volleys, etc., but his understanding of the game together with his all-around skill level is his biggest weapon."
Daniel Evans, the No. 26 seed from Great Britain, spent three hours and 11 minutes chasing Alcaraz around Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday. Perhaps the Birmingham, England, native knows what Alcaraz’s biggest weapon is?
Sort of…
“For me, just solely me, it’s how heavy he hits the ball,” he said. “It feels heavy. I think it’s very difficult to get by him…and his variation. I definitely didn’t know what was coming next and that sort of sets you on the back foot and it makes it difficult to anticipate and see what’s next.”
Heavy ball, defense, variation – isn’t that three weapons?
Robbie Koenig, a former ATP pro turned commentator extraordinaire took a different tack when USOpen.org asked him the question.
“His clutch factor, no doubt,” says Koenig when asked to name Alcaraz’s strongest suit.
The South African points out that Alcaraz has a stellar 13-2 record in deciding-set tiebreaks, then mentions that Alcaraz won his first five finals on tour as well as his first two major finals. Last year, he won the US Open as a teenager, saving a match point in the process.
Talk about ice in the veins.
“I think one of the toughest things in our sport is when you get yourself into these positions for the first time, are you able to convert it?” Koenig says. “Not many have done it as well as him—so often you need the experience of being in that situation, before you can actually do it. For me, that’s what makes him so impressive. If I had to point to one thing, that’s what it is.”
Darwin Blanch, a 15-year-old American who is seeded eighth in the boys’ singles draw at this year’s US Open, admires Alcaraz for the power of his mind.
“Mentality, for sure,” he says. “From the first point to the very end he’s always there—full energy.”
Coco Gauff’s coach Pere Riba, a former ATP star, abides.
“For me his biggest weapon is the mentality, he’s always improving,” Riba states. “Every week that passes, Carlitos is better.”
That’s something that 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic can relate to.
“He's got this mental resilience and maturity for someone who is 20 years old,” he said of the Spaniard this summer. “It's quite impressive. He's got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defense that we've seen with Rafa over the years.”
After falling to Alcaraz in straight sets on Day 8 at the Open, talented Italian Matteo Arnaldi chimed in, agreeing that Alcaraz’s essence has nothing to do with any tennis stroke.
“I think he’s a complete player—he plays everything well and he’s a good fighter,” he said. “He doesn’t give you anything. I think that’s his biggest weapon. Forehand, backhand, we are not here to talk about the shots, it’s just the fighting spirit that he has, and that’s it.”
Whatever the essence of Alcaraz is, or whether we can pinpoint it or not, doesn’t matter.
At the US Open, as Alcaraz progresses in his bid to become the first player to defend the men’s singles title since 2008, the Spaniard is a shining star who seems to love all the possibilities that exist for him on a tennis court.
Not only does Alcaraz have all the weapons, he dispenses them with a childlike sense of wonder that is infectious.
Could that be his biggest weapon?
In Gotham city, tennis time is showtime when Alcaraz takes the court. Like the rest of us, Sanchez hopes that quality always stays with the 20-year-old.
“I don’t want him to become too mature because then he will become much more consistent in what he does really well, but it will take away this nature and these spectacular moments,” he said. “He’s on the court for that, to make the people happy, because he’s happy—if he starts to be too mature he’ll go for business, but we want him to go for the show.”
