Carlos Alcaraz is known for his versatility on the court, capable of executing various types of shots from any position and surface. This unpredictability keeps both fans and opponents intrigued.
Alcaraz enjoys entertaining the crowd and unsettling his opponents, believing it gives him an advantage, especially as he prepares to face Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon semifinals. He finds it advantageous that his rivals have to contemplate whether he will return a point or unleash a remarkable shot.
At just 21 years old, Alcaraz, seeded third, aims for his second consecutive Wimbledon title and fourth Grand Slam overall, having recently claimed the French Open title.
Medvedev, seeded fifth, has a contrasting record in major finals despite winning the 2021 U.S. Open. The other semifinal features Novak Djokovic, who holds a record 24 Slam titles, against Lorenzo Musetti, ranked 25th and making his debut in a major semifinal.
Musetti, 22, acknowledges the challenge of facing Djokovic, one of the greatest players in history, which alters his approach to the match. Their previous encounters include a memorable five-set battle at this year’s French Open.
The upcoming semifinals include a rematch between Alcaraz and Medvedev, following Alcaraz’s victory in last year’s semifinals and subsequent triumph over Djokovic in the final.
It shows a difference between Carlos Alcaraz, who is strong in attacking, and Daniil Medvedev, who is skilled in defending.
“The hardest part about playing against Daniil, or what makes him special, is that he can get to every ball,” Alcaraz said. “He’s like a wall. Every ball comes back.”
When asked about Alcaraz’s best quality, Medvedev started with, “Honestly, everything.” That might sound like an exaggeration. But maybe not.
“That’s what makes it tough to play against him, because you know he can hit a winner from any shot you make. So you try to make it hard for him. You try to hit the shot as well as you can. Maybe he tries to reach it and can’t,” said Medvedev, who has won only two of their last six matches.
“Carlos can do anything, from any position,” Medvedev said, “and that’s not easy to face.” Tommy Paul, the 12th-seeded American who lost to Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, pointed out another of the Spaniard’s many strengths.
“He moves incredibly well. He’s probably the fastest player. It’s very tough to get the ball past him,” Paul said. “Grass suits him. He moves incredibly on grass. It’s not easy to change direction like he does. He stays low. Yeah, I mean, it’s not easy.”
And then, acknowledging the amazing plays Alcaraz regularly makes, Paul added: “Half the battle out there is not letting him win one of those crazy points — because when he does, he starts to get on a roll.”
