Carlos Alcaraz was just 16 years old when he first stepped onto a grass track. It was at Wimbledon where he competed in the third Grand Slam draw in 2019 in the junior category. He won three matches before losing in the quarterfinals with the American Martin Damm, today 185th in the ATP rankings.
He liked the surface and he showed it last year by becoming the eighth player capable of winning at Queen’s and Wimbledon. “I have fallen in love with grass, I did not expect to play at this level so soon,” he admitted.
I have fallen in love with grass, I did not expect to play at this level so soon
Carlos Alcaraz
His love affair with green carpet is seen in the statistics: He has 12 victories and has not lost a match since he lost to Jannik Sinner in the round of 16 of the third major, in 2022.
This Tuesday, against Francisco Cerúndolo, the 26th in the ranking with whom he has no precedents in the professional circuit, a crusade begins for becoming the second tennis player, after Rafael Nadal, capable of winning straight wins at Roland Garros and then at Queen’s and Wimbledon.
The Spaniard achieved it in the 2008 campaign. Rafa was the first member of the Navy to register his name in the honors of the prestigious 500 category tournament. They were followed by Feliciano López, in 2017 and 2019, and Alcaraz joined them in the last edition.
To achieve the challenge of defending crown, Carlitos traveled to London last Saturday accompanied by Samuel López, the coach who saw him win in 2023, his physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno, and Alberto Lledó, his physical trainer.
Lledó, who until this campaign traveled punctually with the El Palmar phenomenon, has become his shadow since the South American tour of clay. The transition between clay and grass is not easy and that is where Alberto’s elongated figure appears. On the green the supports become a fundamental aspect and that is why you have to play more crouched.
Goodbye to the mesh
The work happens to strengthen the hamstrings and abductors due to the ease of suffering some type of unforeseen event in the form of a slip. On the first day, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe (he ended up injured) and Alejandro Davidovich suffered.
There are mobility exercises on the green and strength exercises before. Alcaraz He finally leaves behind the compression mesh on his right arm that has accompanied him throughout the clay tour, from Monte Carlo to Roland Garros. The last time he played without protection was in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open with Grigor Dimitrov. A long stay on British soil awaits the Murcian.
