Can Alcaraz’s big forehand end Djokovic’s monopoly, make tennis competitive again?

Former British No.1 and BBC’s man at Queens last week, Andrew Castle, stuck his neck out to say: “I could see Alcaraz winning Wimbledon, 100 per cent.” Pundits rarely show such conviction in making such bold predictions about a tournament that has the unquestionable GOAT – the winner of the last four Wimbledons, Novak Djokovic.

So what happened at Queen’s that makes Alcaraz a possible giant slayer?

Before the grass season, Alcaraz wasn’t in the best frame of mind. The tame end to his French Open campaign was getting talked about everywhere. The world was mostly sympathetic but also secretly skeptical. During the French Open semi-final, while on the cusp of the watershed moment of his young career, Alcaraz had blinked. He had a chance to beat Djokovic but the 20-year-old had failed to retain his intensity and cramped after two high-quality sets on clay.

Classic @carlosalcaraz 🤌#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/tpkI01TwA9

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2023

American legend John McEnroe had called the Champion vs Challenger match-up at Paris, and he thought the trauma wasn’t just physical. A week later McEnore was the designated speaker for Stanford University’s Graduation Day and he couldn’t keep Alcaraz out of his mind or speech.

“A week or so ago, I was in Paris covering the French Open watching two guys trying to make sports history. There was Carlos Alcaraz, a kid younger than most of you, ranked number one in the world, he was on the verge of taking over the tennis world when he completely froze. He cramped up physically and mentally. The pressure became too much. I thought this could be life-altering for him,” he said. But McEnroe was sure he would bounce back. “He’s got to figure out a way to conquer pressure … And I think he will. And I would know. I’ve been there.”

At Wimbledon, Alcaraz said he had learnt a lot from the French loss and next time he meets Djokovic it is “going to be different and I am going to deal with the pressure better.” In the first two straight set wins at Wimbledon, the forehand continues to be the focus of discussion. Facing Djokovic at Wimbledon will be a real test but the signs are there.

Carlos Alcaraz hits an amazing backhand passing shot on full stretch.

He’s figured out the movement on grass a lot quicker than people expected.

Power & precision.

pic.twitter.com/eZeKE3v1SE

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 7, 2023

At Queen’s, despite the skiddy grass surface being less conducive to line up big shots, the monster forehands were on show. In the semi-final against Sebastian Korda, he hit three monster hits in one game. BBC reported that the speed of those forehands were 92 mph, 96 mph and 102 mph – that’s faster than Shoaib Akhar’s fastest ball.

During the final, the 6 feet, solidly packed Spanish star unleashed a thunderbolt forehand that had his opponent Alex de Minaur shaking his head. Helplessness on the face of the defeated, that’s the ultimate acknowledgement of the winner’s superiority.

In the stands, there were joyous faces. Any extraordinary display of raw power on a sporting field guarantees the eruption of spontaneous applause. An athlete’s attempt to push the envelope is a celebration of the pursuit to redefine the limits of human endeavour.

With Alcaraz using his spectacular forehand as a knock out punch all through the tournament, the crowd would wait for it. Whenever the ball would float to his forehand, there would be air of expectancy. It was like an excited cricket crowd clapping in unison, when watching a 150 kph pacer steam in, anticipating the excitement of watching the stumps fly.

Achievement unlocked 🔓

Novak Djokovic’s 350th Grand Slam match win! 👏#Wimbledon | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/Qv0yilhPUm

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2023

BBC commentator and British star of yesteryears John Lloyd would paint the courtside picture of Alcatraz at Queen’s. “The fans know it’s coming so they love it even more … I haven’t heard the crowd make noises like that when a player hits the ball, it’s almost like they can see the forehand winding up and they’re ready – they just love it,” he said.

The Alcaraz forehand isn’t just about him winding up, gritting the teeth, tightening the muscles and swinging his racket. There is a lot of science to the stroke that is gradually getting an aura on the tennis circuit. It is a combination of subtle spin, impeccable timing and unadulterated power.

Alcaraz, more Federer than Nadal in style and approach to the game, plays the forehand like the Swiss champion. His racket-swing is flatter, it doesn’t climb over the head like Nadal. The nuanced racket movement gives reasonable top-spin to the ball, it doesn’t have Nadal-level RPMs. Committed to playing an all-attacking game, he prefers to be closer to the baseline – another Federer trait. Being fleet footed helps him to get the timing right – keep the ideal distance from the ball to hit it perfectly with the full face of the racket.

Letting it rip 💥#Wimbledon | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/8P8ReijHQf

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2023

The way Alcaraz generates power on the forehand is a lesson in bio-mechanics and also a thing of beauty. Slow motion replays show his feet floating in the air and a body in the middle of a semi-twist when he meets the ball. That’s the culmination of a quick routine that starts with the racket freeing itself from the non-playing hand and moves back. This is a cue for the knees to bend and for the body to uncoil and give the ball one mighty wallop.

Like a folk dancer about to take a spin, he first sends left hand behind back, giving enough space for the right to swing freely and fiercely like a string attached to stone. The science of Neeraj Chopra’s famous elastic band-like release of the javelin and Alcaraz’s loose limbed racket speed aren’t too different. While it is trajectory and distance for Chopra, for Alcaraz it’s speed and spin.

Alcaraz is one among the many in the Top 100 to possess the big forehand. He also isn’t the only one who dares to throw the kitchen sink at the ball. But Alcaraz’s forehand is bigger than most. Besides the sink, he even chucks the furniture and bath tub at the poor fuzzy yellow ball.

Like most Wimbledon Hall of Famers, the Spaniard isn’t all about his brutal forehand. He has a sturdy serve, backhand slice, great hands to play volleys and a delectable drop shot. Beyond this bouquet of blistering shots, Alcaraz maintains a Nadal-esque calm on court. He doesn’t rile opponents or umpires. At Queen’s, after hitting a winner he stopped celebrating when he saw his opponent had slipped. Outwitted at the net, he reached out to his rival across the net to shake his hand. After the game, with that charming Spanish accent in place, he is guarded and respectful.

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So here’s a 20-year-old who sounds and looks like Nadal and hits the forehand like Federer. Is he the saviour who could end Djokovic’s monopoly and make tennis competitive again?

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