The tennis player will play his fourth consecutive major semi-final against Daniil Medvedev this Friday at the United States Open.
Measuring yourself against the number one in the world always raises the pressure. The challenge gains in intensity when that player is Carlos Alcaraz, A tennis player who shatters marks of precocity and at the age of 20 has left tennis speechless and in love with a game that combines the best of the ‘Big Three’ but adds unique personal elements that complete it beyond comparisons. And in the Tennis Open of United States, where El Palmar disputes this Friday against Daniil Medvedev his fourth consecutive major semi-final and third of the year (something that had only been achieved before Novak Djokovic was 20), Alcaraz has once again shown, and felt, his higher levelr.
On his way to that semi-final, which puts him just one step away from fighting again for the title he already won last year, the Murcian He has only given up one set, in the third round against Daniel Evans. In the rest of the matches (beyond the first one in which Dominil Koepfer retired) He has never spent more than two and a half hours on the track.
Even though some aspects of his game have faltered (and he has had trouble playing on his first serve in recent matches, including Wednesday night’s quarter-final win over Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2 and 6-4) has managed to make them go unnoticed due to their efficiency and the much more abundant and decisive strengths. And before all his rivals he has shown himself unavailablehis unappealable superiority.
Advantage in Grand Slams
It is something that puts him in that semifinal with a confidence as powerful as his tennis, as strong as his head. And also, with a feeling of superiority which Alcaraz, the p.Youngest first seed in US Open historywhich this season has added to its record six titles, has won 57 of his 63 games on the circuit and in its last four majors (was absent from Australia due to injury) accumulates 24 wins and only one loss.
“I feel with an advantage in the Grand Slam”, he explained to the press early Thursday morning. “The players that I face They have to play at a high level for a long time to beat me”, he said in reference to the five set format which, especially given his good physical and mental moment, makes him that barrier for so many insurmountable.
Medvedev, against the ropes
If anyone knows it is Medvedevthat in addition to losing this year with him in Indian Wells He fell just as resoundingly in the Wimbledon semifinal, where Alcaraz later added his second great victory against Djokovic in his unforgettable victory. Although the number 3 in the world and New York champion in 2021 has shown a good level in New York, and he feels “10 out of 10”, he also knows that not even that is enough against Alcaraz: “I need to be 11 out of 10 to beat him,” he explained, anticipating his semi-final.
“He has more strength than the rest of the players”, analyzed the Muscovite. “With many, if I go 97%, I make it difficult for them to surpass me, I am always there, always running, always trying to return it. But he can outrun you because he has that strength, 100 miles an hour forehand winners, things like that. And some, even if we try, we can’t.” “What makes it so difficult is that has all the shots& rdquor ;, added Medvedev. “He’s good with his forehand, his backhand, he can cut it, make drop shots…”
Unusual forcefulness
The superiority, furthermore, continues to rise, as it could “suffer” in the quarterfinal match Zverev. There Alcaraz took advantage of the four opportunities to break the serve, and saved the five that he had against him, and with unusual forcefulness, a decisive aggressiveness even more intense than usual. “My team and I almost always laugh that I never do it the first time,” the Spaniard later analyzed before the press. “But this time it was the opposite, I achieved it basically on the first opportunities, and it has been very good for us.”
The one from Hamburg did not hesitate to place Alcaraz in a unattainable stratum where only enters too Djokovic, the owner of 23 majors, who on Monday will once again take over from Murcia at number 1 and who is another of the semifinalists in New York, where he will face the young American revelation Ben Shelton. “There are some things that Novak does better and others that Carlos does better, but are at a higher level than others now,” said Zverev. “We have to scramble to reach them. It’s as simple as that”.