Alcaraz: What I Missed Most About Clay

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Picture credit score: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters

Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his clay-court return getting his ft soiled.

Alcaraz tore by seven straight video games stopping Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 to soar to his first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters victory as we speak.

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After a subpar Sunshine Double that noticed Alcaraz look flat falling to Jack Draper at Indian Wells earlier than struggling a surprising opening loss to David Goffin in Miami, the 21-year-old Spaniard regarded keen and excited to return to pink clay.

Reigning Roland Garros champion Alcaraz has gained 13 of his final 14 clay-court matches along with his lone loss in that span coming in opposition to Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic within the Paris Olympic gold-medal match performed at Roland Garros final summer season.

Alcaraz mentioned the 2 issues he misses most about clay are preventing by bodily factors—and the actual fact the serve will not be as dominant a shot on filth as it’s on laborious court docket.

“I believe [I miss] the powerful battles, and as I say, you already know, the serve will not be as necessary most likely as on laborious court docket, so I believe that is fairly good for me,” Alcaraz instructed the media in Monte-Carlo. “, I believe we enjoying, you already know, virtually each level, so we will make lots of factors or free factors with the serve, in order that’s make develop the purpose much more than most likely different floor.”

The very fact the speedy Spaniard is arguably one of the best mover within the sport on pure surfaces—clay and grass—can be an asset on filth.

In his Sunshine Double defeats, Alcaraz typically struggled on serve.

Although Alcaraz can blast 130 mph-plus first-serves, can serve with hellacious spin and dots all areas of the field, he clocked in at solely No. 30 on the ATP Tour in first-serve factors gained in 2024 (73 p.c) and was No. 12 within the important service video games gained class (85.4 p.c).

That’s low for a four-time Grand Slam champion of Alcaraz’s caliber.

In distinction, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was No. 1 in service video games gained (91.4 p.c) and was second in first-serve factors gained (79.3 p.c) final 12 months.

The 21-year-old Spanish celebrity confirmed his damaging return recreation as we speak. Alcaraz transformed six of eight break factors and gained 12 of 14 factors performed on Cerundolo’s serve in that shutout second set as we speak.

Alcaraz mentioned he is missed clay-court play as a result of he views it as “actual tennis” relatively than the serve plus one type so prevalent on laborious court docket.

“Yeah, lengthy rallies, you already know, get the socks soiled slightly bit. , that is what I miss, to look at good tennis,” Alcaraz instructed the media in Monte-Carlo. “I believe, you already know, on clay you’ll be able to watch the actual tennis, as a result of as I mentioned, it is not solely watching, you already know, massive serves or no matter, or factors, you already know, and only one or two photographs.

“On clay you see lengthy rallies. For instance, yesterday, 48 rallies. That is what I like, watching tennis and enjoying right here on clay.”