Andy Roddick has perfect idea for how Carlos Alcaraz can be best version of himself
Carlos Alcaraz has the same desire as the Big 3 to win all the time. The Big 3 - Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic - always had a Plan B, though, and won matches even when they were not at their best. Alcaraz on the other hand has not developed that yet, he can start misfiring and lose matches when he is not playing great.
Controlled aggression and defensive consistency are something Alcaraz can improve. His return game is fairly high-risk at the moment, he misses a lot of important returns trying to go for a winner. Cutting his missed returns rate by 15-20 percent is doable and would make his top level much more reliable.
The Spaniard in his young career has already attained a nearly complete game with his relentless attack, insane defense, phenomenal touch, and mental strength. He has so many ways of winning a point that he sometimes has choice overload. His groundstrokes have so much power that they pin his opponents well behind the baseline, he just needs to be more patient sometimes.
Andy Roddick says Carlos Alcaraz's best version will come out when he plays more like Novak Djokovic
Roddick in his podcast said "Alcaraz is almost like a combination of the Big 3. He’s still finding his way. I think the best version of himself will be when he gets a little more Novak (Djokovic) into his game, where he makes things a little more boring and isn’t spectacular all the time."
Andy Roddick is spot on here, Alcaraz is definitely entertaining and hits massive shots. But at the end of the day, if he wants to win as many titles as possible, he will have to become much more efficient and potentially less spectacular.
Playing exciting tennis and winning are not mutually exclusive, however, it might be an idea for Alcaraz to find a balance. He can continue to play the exciting tennis that people love to watch, but in pressure moments he can go into lockdown mode and not go for all-out winners quite so much.
The genius in Alcaraz aims for instinctive shots which has a lower chance of success. The right combination at the right time will maximize his game and potential.
It took a young Roger Federer a while to come into his own too because he had so many options and had to learn when to play shots. Carlos Alcaraz is also young and still exploring the limits of his powers, a problem most players don't have.