Former British tennis star Tim Henman has warned fans on their expectations for Carlos Alcaraz, following the Spaniard’s loss to Alexander Zverev at the 2024 Australian Open.
The Wimbledon champion fell to his German counterpart in the quarterfinals in Melbourne, as Zverev breezed through the opening two sets before walking away with a 6-1 6-3 6-7(2) 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena. This loss could see Alcaraz drop a spot in the rankings to World No.3, should Daniil Medvedev win the tournament.
Alcaraz’s flamboyant shot selection could lead to his downfall, says Henman
The Spaniard has won two Grand Slam titles, and his desire to go for big shots has enamored him to the fans. However, Henman, alongside Eurosport colleague Mats Wilander, believes a change in playing style might not be to Alcaraz’s benefit.
“The first few points in the match is what worries most people. You can’t do that when you play against Alexander Zverev,” Wilander said. “You can do that when you play against Rafa or Novak, where you have a chance to break and give yourself some time, but when you’re playing a guy like that, the first two points of [your] service game are huge because [if they] go up a break, that’s it, done.
“In the Wimbledon final against Djokovic, he started serving for the match with a drop shot, lost it, and then hit another drop shot, winning that to hold serve. Do we want him as a fan to change that? It’s the same as Nick Kyrgios. I’d like to see him win majors, but do I want him to hit tweeners? I’m not really sure. Alcaraz is sort of similar.”
“We need to be careful of what we wish for,” Henman replied.
This was Alcaraz’s second consecutive defeat to Zverev after the German beat him at the ATP World Tour finals in Turin last year.