By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_now | Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Photo Credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his return with clay making his feet dirty.
Alcaraz was torn in seven straight games by stopping Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 to fly to his first victory Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters today.
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After a Subpar Sun that saw Alcaraz look flat falling at Jack Draper in Indian Wells before suffering a stunning opening loss to David Goffin in Miami, the 21-year-old Spaniard looked eager and excited to return to Red Clay.
Roland Garros Alcaraz’s reigning champion has won 13 of his last 14 clay-court matches with his only loss in that space coming against Grand Slam King Novak Djokovic In the Olympic match of the Gold Medal in Paris played in Roland Garros last summer.
Alcaraz said the two things he misss most about Clay is struggling through physical points – and the fact that the service is not so predominant of a stroke in dirt as it is in a difficult court.
“I think (I miss) the difficult battles, and as I say, you know, the service is not as important as in the difficult court, so I think it’s very good for me,” Alcaraz told Monte-Carlo. “You know, I think we play. You know, almost any point, so we can make many points or free points with the service, so it will make it develop even more than maybe other surfaces.”
The fact of the fast Spaniard is probably the best track in sports on natural surfaces – paper and grass – is also a wealth of dirt.
In his double sun losses, Alcaraz sometimes struggled in service.
Although Alcaraz can explode 130 MPH-Plus first services, it can serve bright rolls and points of all areas of the box, it scored only at no. 30 in the ATP tour at the first service points obtained in 2024 (73 percent) and was no. 12 in the category of Vital Won Service Games (85.4 percent).
This is low for a four -time Slam champion of Alcaraz caliber.
In contrast, World no. Jannik Sinner 1 was no. 1 in the service games won (91.4 percent) and was the second in the first service points (79.3 percent) last year.
The 21-year-old Spanish superstar showed his harmful return game today. Alcaraz converted six of the eight drops and won 12 of the 14 points played in Cerundolo’s service in that second set today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=earxdtwcl3m
Alcaraz said he has lost the game of the Argila Court because he sees it as “real tens” that service plus such a widespread style in the difficult court.
“Yes, long rallies, you know, get a little sock socks. You know, that’s what I miss, to see good tennis,” Alcaraz the media told Monte-Carlo. “I think, you know, in clay you can see the real tennis, because as I said, it’s not just looking, you know, serve great or whatever, or point, you know, and only one or two shots.
“In clay you see long rallies. For example, yesterday, 48 rallies. That’s what I like, seeing tennis and playing here in Clay.”
