Carlos Alcaraz has delivered a brutal level of honesty when discussing his game on the grass as he prepares to defend his Queen’s Club title.
The Spaniard is very much the man of the moment. He won the French Open earlier this month and is in confident spirits.
Grass provides another change of place for the players on the tour, however, with Wimbledon now on the horizon.
Alcaraz achieved both Queen’s and Wimbledon titles last year and he will demand similar performance levels of himself this time around.
Now, he’s opened up on his preparation for the grass season and he believes there is something that he’s got worse at.
Carlos Alcaraz thinks he’s got worse at something on grass
The players have been at Queen’s for a few days now, enjoying a number of practice sessions out of the courts.
The tournament is often the warm-up that most players choose ahead of Wimbledon as they look to acclimatise in London.
Alcaraz was in stunning form at Roland Garros during the second Grand Slam of the year as he beat Alexander Zverev in the final.
However, ahead of Queen’s Club getting underway, he does think there is something that he’s got worse at on grass.
He told the LTA: “The first practice I did here, my movement wasn’t as good as last year but it’s a slow process – I have to be really focused in my practice and every match I play but I’m sure I’ll get to 100%.”
Alcaraz has been happy to be back in the UK, however, and has hinted that he’s been enjoying his practice.
He continued: “I’m really happy to be back, I arrived yesterday morning and was on the grass for 25 minutes before the rain came.
“I then had over two hours practising, playing sets and tie-breaks which helped me a lot to be ready before we start the tournament.”
Alcaraz will produce more magic at Queen’s and Wimbledon this summer
At 21-years-old, it’s quite remarkable what Alcaraz has already achieved given his tender years.
The Spanish sensation might not be quite happy with his movement on the grass just yet but you can bet he will still be ready.
Alcaraz has now won three Grand Slam titles – lifting one on each surface by winning the French Open.
He will go into both grass tournaments this summer as the heavy favourite and if he showcases his best form, the rest of the field could be powerless.
Alcaraz will hope to brush up on his movement in the coming days.
He does have a favourable match to kick things off at Queen’s Club, with Argentine player Francisco Cerundolo his opponent in the round of 32.
With more match practice, Alcaraz should become the formidable force that he’s showcased previously and it’s fascinating to see what he can achieve over the next few weeks.
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