At the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz proves he is at home on the big stage
At the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz proves he is at home on the big stage: At the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz continued to show why he is heralded as the next big thing in men’s tennis well into the fifth and fourth sets of his quarterfinal match against Jannik Sinner.
In the opening set of their encounter, the 19-year-old was clearly the superior player. But Sinner, who was two years older than him, handled the storm beautifully and took the lead.
In the second set, he focused more on Alcaraz’s flaws, and in the third, despite Alcaraz’s 16 winners and 5 unforced errors, Sinner stepped up his game late to break back and force a tiebreaker, which he subsequently won 7-0. There were opportunities for Alcaraz to take the set in both the second and third games of the third set, but Sinner was ahead 2-1.
Sinner got a break to start the fourth, and while Alcaraz got one back later, he was unable to hold on to it. On his way to serving out the match, the Italian had a match point, but Alcaraz did what all top-level tennis players do: he made him work hard for the victory.
Though it may appear easy at first, it proves to be anything but in practice. In an era when baseline defence has been the norm, getting the ball back into play as often as possible is a significant accomplishment.
Alcaraz
Alcaraz wouldn’t let up, so he chased down ball after ball with his lightning-fast feet, forced Sinner to win each point twice or three times, and forced him to make split-second judgments. The evidence was there; Sinner folded under duress, serving a double fault and then was broken when he failed to return a straightforward forehand volley to the opponent’s forehand.
After dropping the first game, Alcaraz won the next two and forced a decisive fifth. Despite being down a break in the fifth set, he played with an air of confidence and composure that suggested he was not going to lose. He went on to win the next five games and the match by scores of 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3.
For most of this century, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have dominated the men’s major tournaments’ quarterfinals and semifinals, but their dominance is waning.
In the meantime, Federer hasn’t played a complete season in three years, Djokovic hasn’t been vaccinated and isn’t allowed on much of the tour, and Nadal, lacking in match experience, sharpness, fitness, and (apparently) motivation, faded quickly.
However, Alcaraz and Sinner proved that they are not only the game’s future but also its present. The encounter was the best tennis match of the year by a long measure because of the intensity from the first point, the consistently high quality of the shotmaking, and the twists.
It turned that created tension and tremendous drama. Drop shots were perfectly timed, dunks that required great athleticism to finish passes that resulted in spectacular dunks, and dunks that would have made great highlight reel material if they had been included.
Spare a thought for Sinner
Even though Alcaraz will get all the attention in the end, Sinner deserves a lot of the credit. The Italian may be more reserved and understated on the court, but he showed off an impressive array of tools.
His serve was always spot on, and he consistently delivered huge aces when it counted. Although his backhand is a well-recognized strength, his forehand wing caused the most damage, as he consistently hit wins inside-out, cross-court, and with slices and drop shots to keep Alcaraz guessing.
After an explosive breakthrough a few years ago, the Italian was regarded one of the best talents on the men’s tour, but he has since struggled due to injury. Despite not winning the match, he has become a consistent force and is one of only a few active players to have advanced to the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
Alcaraz’s swag
However, Alcaraz has already established himself as a top player in the world. After a stellar first half of the year in which he won two Masters 1000 tournaments and rocketed up the rankings, the pressure has only increased. There are great hopes, and his performance on Wednesday night confirmed that he is worthy of them.
The Spaniard strutted around the court like he owned the place, taking credit for his own shotmaking, kept the crowd on their toes by rousing them with gestures after incredible displays of athleticism, and showed remarkable tenacity throughout.
Frenchman Frances Tiafoe, who has been on a tear himself this week after defeating Nadal in the fourth round, is up next. The home fans will be rooting for the player who advanced to the semifinals more rapidly than his opponent did in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Alcaraz stayed on the court to sign autographs and interact with fans until well after 3 a.m. He probably wouldn’t have gotten to sleep until the wee hours of the morning had he followed the standard protocol after every match (which may be indicative of a larger discussion about the distorted scheduling of modern tennis).
Alcaraz seemed to be in top form despite having spent almost 10 hours on court over the course of his last two matches. There is little doubt that the 19-year-old has arrived and is able to give his best on the game’s biggest stage, regardless of whether or not he wins the title on Sunday and becomes the World No. 1.
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