It’s taken some time, but Carlos Alcaraz’s forehand is well and truly back in 2024.
Over the last three years, Alcaraz has climbed to the top of the men’s rankings behind one key weapon: his forehand. The 21-year-old rips the shot like nobody else, and while his athleticism, touch and competitive spirit are brilliant, it’s his forehand that truly sets him apart.
That’s why when the world No 3 suffered a forearm injury at the start of the European clay season, his French Open hopes took a hit.
Having won Indian Wells and made the quarter-finals of Miami this year, Alcaraz announced that his forearm was giving him trouble. It’s an area of the body that has sidelined the Spaniard before, and this time, it meant he would miss both Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.
After a return in April and losing in the Madrid quarter-finals, Alcaraz again shared that his forearm was injured. This meant sitting out of the Rome Masters, and heading to Roland-Garros with just four matches played on clay this European swing.
Three rounds in, and Alcaraz is playing freely
Ahead of the French Open, no-one knew what to expect from the No 3 seed. Fit and healthy, he’d be the favorite for the title. Injured, and we might not see him make the second week.
Even Alcaraz himself was unsure, sharing the week before Roland-Garros that he was “still a little scared,” and that the feeling is “going to take awhile to go away.”
Now, having played three matches, the verdict is out. Alcaraz’s forehand is back to its best, and his forearm has fully recovered.
After defeating No 27 seed Sebastian Korda on Friday, the Spaniard declared:
“It was a really good match. I felt really well. Moving on the court, hitting the balls, physically I felt amazing, honestly. Really demanding match, but really happy with the way that I deal every point, difficult moments, everything.
“I think during the whole match, I hit my forehand really well, with more intensity. I felt really well after those shots.”
Notably, 27 of Alcaraz’s 38 winners came on the forehand side, with just 13 unforced errors.
“At some point I forget about everything and I hit the forehand normally,” Alcaraz revealed, before confessing that he’s missed being at 100 percent this year with his favorite shot.
“In the second set tiebreak I hit it to forehand, and I thought, ‘I miss it. I miss this kind of forehand, this kind of moments.’”
Tsitsipas next?
Alcaraz will need all the forehand firepower he can get over the coming week in Paris. The 21-year-old is on a collision course to meet former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open quarter-finals if each wins their next match.
