Carlos Alcaraz came up with a magical winner to get the crowd going to the Philippe-Chatrier court. Credit: AP/Thibault Camus
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz made a shot at the French Open—perhaps for a whole decade—when he pulled a spinning scoop with his back to the net to get past the advancing Novak Djokovic.
< p>At just 20 years old, Alcaraz is already known for his amazing shooting creativity, but also for his vulnerability to injury. If he manages to stay in shape throughout his long career, he will create the brightest video like no other player in the history of the game.
It was a variant of the traditional «hot dog», usually hit between the legs with the back net when you run back after a pass.
Alcaraz went the other way, running close to the ball. , after Djokovic first landed a drop shot on him and then deftly landed his next blow over his head.
In Novak's voice: NOT TOO BAD 🤯#RolandGarros | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/pHkwxrff4u
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2023
He then spun in a full slide and sent his crossed right down the line to Djokovic's right. He was still off balance as he turned to watch as the ball landed squarely on the court and narrowly avoided falling back as he shook his fist in delight.
If this ball had been hit from a normal stance? , standing in front of the net, the tennis player would call the result the winning shot from the right from the inside. And that's hard enough to do without traveling at high speed in the wrong direction, on uncertain footing and completely unnoticed.
One of Alcaraz's unique characteristics is his ability to playfully shape the ball, even when the stakes are huge, as in this French Open semi-final. He also has phenomenal touch — his drop shot is probably the best on the tour — and unrivaled takeoff speed.
He was literally on the tram tracks in front of the court after Djokovic's dropshot, but was still able to run on diagonally to catch up with Djokovic's cross — a clean win over almost any player.
To his credit, Djokovic recognized the peculiarity of the moment. He grinned, applauded, and then called on the crowd to enjoy Alcaraz's work.
Despite losing, Carlos Alcaraz illustrates why he is the natural heir to the Big Three . Photo: AFP/Emmanuel Dunant
Simon Briggs, Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz demonstrated why he is the natural heir to the tennis big three as he created one of the greatest moment of improvisation ever seen at the French Open by making a right hand pass to a clear winner with his back to the net.
< p >And yet, despite this memorable stunt that will surely be talked about for years to come, Alcaraz still looked dejected as he left the stage after the semi-finals against Novak Djokovic. It wasn't just that he lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. The fact is that he suffered a seizure that turned the match around.
Alcaraz's malaise robbed the brilliance of a previously exciting contest. While he was going full steam ahead, this match was played with intensity to remind of the great Djokovic/Federer/Nadal clash of the last decade. If Alcaraz could maintain the same level of effort for another hour or two, we'd be looking at a modern classic.
Whatever the case, his calf got stuck during the third game of the third set, crippling him to the point where he could barely move. And yet he still came out to the approval of his adversary. “I told him online,” Djokovic said, “that he is young, he still has a lot of time, he will win this tournament many more times.”
Meanwhile, on social media, other high-profile tennis players have hailed Alcaraz's talent. «I sympathize with Alcaraz,» said last year's Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios. “Just a big learning process, almost every tennis player goes through that feeling. Spasms from nervousness and excitement before a match of this magnitude. In the future, he will definitely learn to deal with it. Then we should be afraid.”
At 20, Alcaraz is hardly a tennis novice. After all, he won last year's US Open. Still, there was a feeling in New York that he was taking advantage of the absences of Federer (retired), Nadal (injured in the fourth round) and Djokovic (uninvited due to a Covid vaccine refusal).
Alcaraz already has one Grand Slam title to his name, last year's US Open. Photo: Getty Images
Even if Alcaraz takes part in this event, finishing first in the world, he will still need to prove his credentials against one of the giants of the previous generation. If his technique and creativity passed the test brilliantly, his inexperience shone. He is not the first. Djokovic himself suffered from a host of physical problems in the early stages of his career, while Andy Murray famously suffered cramps while fighting five sets at his first Wimbledon.
From the very first moment, a forehand , which he slapped into the net — Alcaraz looked as if he felt the pressure of circumstances. Later, he was remarkably forthright and honest about his own inner turmoil.
“I have never felt such tension as in that match,” he said. “You know, playing against Novak is not easy. If someone says that he goes on the court without nerves, playing against Novak, he is lying. The next time I face Novak, I hope I will be different, but the nerves will be there.”
Alcaraz still scored a lot of great points – and he captured the hearts of the fans to such an extent that after the contest ended, they booed Djokovic heartily. But aside from his magical drop shots, he seemed to be blasting his way through the match like a muscle truck trying to keep up with a low-slung race car, running out of fuel along the way.
Djokovic, on the other hand, was efficient and street smart, constantly changing the direction of the game, so that Alcaraz always seemed to go out of his way to save points. The project has worked so well that now Djokovic will become the main favorite for Sunday's final and win a record 23rd major title.
However, even in the event of a defeat, it was Alcaraz who won the popular vote. on the court of Philippe Chatrier. One day he may look back on this semi-final as a defining moment in his evolution.
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