Carlos Alcaraz back in unfamiliar territory after Paris pain

June 19, 2023 Times Europe

Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 4, 2023 Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in action during his fourth round match against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Carlos Alcaraz heads into only his third career grass court tournament at Queen’s Club, desperate to shake off his French Open horror show but admitting the switch of surfaces poses “difficult” questions.

The 20-year-old Spaniard saw his dream of adding the French Open to his 2022 US Open title spectacularly unravel due to whole body cramping caused, he admitted, by the stress and tension of facing Novak Djokovic.

His defeat in the semi-final in Paris to eventual champion Djokovic also saw him relinquish his world number one ranking.

However, the flamboyant shot-maker now faces a fresh dilemma — how to master the demands of grass courts with Wimbledon just two weeks away.

“I arrived in London Saturday morning and I had my first practice on grass yesterday,” Alcaraz said during a press conference on Sunday at the west London venue.

“I was not able to practice too much at home as we have no grass courts. I need to adapt my movement and shots on the grass, but I am really happy with the practice I have had here.”

Alcaraz, who made the fourth round at Wimbledon last year, said he rested for four days following his Roland Garros exit.

With 10 titles under his belt — seven on clay and three on hard courts — he now needs to use his recharged batteries to draw up a grass court masterplan.

“The most difficult part is to move well on grass. You need to be more careful than other surfaces, so for me to move on grass is the most difficult,” he admitted.

“The most comfortable is going to the net and playing aggressively all the time. For me it is similar to other surfaces with my style. Playing that style is comfortable and I like it.

“There are a lot of players who slice on grass. I am not one of them, so I have to think about the movement. I have to be focused on every movement and shot.

“For me it is more tiring when you are moving on grass. It is totally different, so you have to be really specific.”

Alcaraz, the top seed at Queen’s, will begin his pursuit of a fifth title this season against French qualifier Arthur Fils.