Problem-solver Carlos Alcaraz reaches second straight Wimbledon final

Carlos Alcaraz is a showman. Ever since he broke out on the tour, he has had a prodigious talent not just to win matches, but also to produce plenty of highlight reel moments. As the famous quote from The Gladiator goes, he leaves you feeling frequently: ‘Are you not entertained?’ Except, this Spaniard does it with a smile.

Against Daniil Medvedev on Friday at the Wimbledon semifinal though, it took a while for the showmanship to appear. That would all change early in the second set. He egged the crowd on with his right index finger pointed to his ear as he hit a forehand inside-out winner to go up 2-1 on serve. Couple of minutes later he hit a backhand passing shot winner to earn himself break points. And at 15-40, he hit a stunning forehand crosscourt winner to pass a static Medvedev at the net and roared.

“Vamos!” The first big one of the day. Alcaraz truly arrived at the Wimbledon semifinal precisely at that precise point and he didn’t look up. For the second straight year, he defeated Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to book his place at Centre Court on Sunday.

For, the first set was largely dictated by the Russian former world No.1 and despite it going to a tiebreak, Alcaraz was struggling. He later conceded being nervous in those early stages and it showed in his game. He was muttering to himself frequently.

It’s been the theme of Alcaraz’s run to a second successive Wimbledon final. Moments of flair are of course never far away when he is on court but he has worked through the draw despite not playing the best levels he is capable of. He has dropped at least a set in four of his six matches (taken to the distance by Frances Tiafoe in the third round).

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 12, 2024 Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his semi final match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Paul Childs

“We try just to find solutions,” the defending champion had said after his quarterfinal, on how he has managed to navigate the field without hitting the high notes we have to come to expect from him. “For me, obviously, it is going to be really difficult to play my best tennis every match. I know that there are going to be some matches that I’m not going to find my best tennis even though I have to try to win it.”

Learning from Big Three

It is, he said, something he learned watching the Big Three. Play good tennis for long enough, and not to aim for the best tennis all the time. “When I’m not playing my best tennis, I’m going to try to find solutions just to be a bit better, just to beat the opponent. Sometimes it’s going to be difficult to do it but I played enough level just to win those matches.”

The first set was a rollercoaster for Alcaraz but Medvedev had him where he wanted. The Russian’s rallying skills are world-class and he kept Alcaraz to just 18% in attacking areas. Alcaraz’s first serve was down at 48% and it showed in the tiebreak as Medvedev cruised through 7-1. But after breaking Medvedev’s serve early in the second set, Alcaraz didn’t give Medvedev a look in.

“I started really nervous. I think he was dominating the match and playing great tennis with his serve and return game. It was difficult for me, but I tried to push out the nerves at the beginning of the second set,” Alcaraz reflected on the win, pointing out that going up 3-1 was a turning point for him. “After that I could play my own game and enjoy the match a little bit more. I tried to hit great shots. I moved well, so in general I think I played a pretty good match.”

There were still moments when Alcaraz struggled to hit through Medvedev’s defensive skills – he referred to his opponent as the wall before the match. But once he broke early in the third set, without necessarily hitting top gear, Alcaraz got into a much better shot-making rhythm. The forehand which deserted him early on, started to do some serious damage. The drop shots came out much more frequently. And importantly, his first serve numbers went up from 48% in the first set to 52%, 64%, and 65% in the subsequent sets that he won.

If Medvedev, having beaten No.1 Jannik Sinner in a 5-set quarterfinal, had any hopes of stretching Alcaraz, he had to start the fourth set well. But once again, just in time, Alcaraz produced a gobsmacking forehand winner, where he showed stunning hand speed to catch the Russian off guard, to break serve. And effectively, break Medvedev’s resolve too in that one fluid swing of his racket.

The flamboyance will never go away from Alcaraz’s game as long as he plays tennis but on the grass this year, he has married that with a dose of pragmatism. Problem-solving his way into another Grand Slam final and standing on the cusp of a fourth Major at 21.

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