“Ultimately, it’s a surface we don’t play many matches on each year, and you have to learn from every experience on it, from every match you play.” A jubilant Carlos Alcaraz said after his QF victory on Friday at the Queen’s Club on grass. Following his epic French Open triumph on clay in Paris, the World No.2 seems unstoppable. It becomes evident from his third-straight win this week on the green surface, making a smooth transition from clay. Undoubtedly, the five-time slam champion is proving his mettle, once again, ahead of the Wimbledon. After all, he’s already won back-to-back trophies at the All England Club in the last two seasons. Even 22-time slam king and his idol, Rafael Nadal, couldn’t amass that many Wimbledon titles in his early years. So, what makes Alcaraz so good on grass compared to Rafa?
In the quarterfinal round at the Queen’s Club, Alcaraz beat Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets. The former champion at this event didn’t take much time in sealing his SF spot with a score line of 7-5, 6-4. With that, he’s extended his match win streak to 16 since last month. During the on-court interview, the Spaniard said, “Every player is different, with a different style, especially on grass. So, you have to keep learning and getting to know yourself; what suits you and what doesn’t.” reported ATP Tour’s website on June 20.
Now former American WTA pro Coco Vandeweghe has revealed what really works in favor of Alcaraz on grass. Especially when it comes to comparisons with tennis GOAT Nadal who wasn’t hugely successful on the grass as the 22-year-old. During an episode of the Tennis Channel live podcast, dated June 21, Vandeweghe said, “I think expectations come when you have a Grand Slam. You are expected to not only dominate on the surface you want but the surface that you are comfortable and not comfortable at. And definitely I think that was the conversation that grass would be his toughest surface. And when we always think of Carlos Alcaraz we think of another great Spaniard in Rafael Nadal and how long it took him to be successful at Wimbledon,”
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After turning pro in 2001, it took Nadal seven years to capture his first Wimbledon trophy (2008) on grass. He initially couldn’t adapt to the surface as compared to clay, where he succeeded most (14 Roland Garros titles). On the other hand, Alcaraz has already won the title at the All England Club twice (2023 and 2024) after turning pro in 2018. So what’s the difference between their performance on grass? Vandeweghe added, “I think Carlos just has so much game and less of the technical difficulties that Rafa had. And I think how (Andre) Agassi said it best, his movement is the least compromised on grass compared to the top players in the world that he’s competing against”.
Following Alcaraz’s French Open victory, eight-time slam king Agassi admired his movement on court. Moreover, he went on to say that Alcaraz was better suited to grass. “Alcaraz’s best surface to me, shockingly, would be between here and Wimbledon … I would say grass,” reported CBS Sports earlier this month. “Reason I would say grass has nothing to do with his swings. It has to do with the less diminishing speed that happens to him versus other players.”
As he shows remarkable performance on the green surface, Alcaraz has achieved a rare feat this week. It further solidifies his growing grass supremacy.
Carlos Alcaraz achieves his best win percentage on grass ahead of Wimbledon
For the uninitiated, Carlos Alcaraz has played a total of 30 matches on grass in his ATP career so far. Do you know what his win-loss record is by now? A staggering 27-3. Which means he’s lost only three encounters in his entire career on grass since turning pro. This record also includes his back-to-back Wimbledon victories in 2023 and then 2024. Plus, he’s also won a title at the Queen’s Club – the event he’s currently competing at this week. Back in 2023, he beat Aussie Alex de Minaur in the final with a score line of 6-4, 6-4.
After his quarterfinal win on Friday, the World No.2 has pushed his grass win percentage to a whopping 90. According to Tennis Channel, it’s the best win percentage on grass for any of the 29 No.1 players in ATP rankings history. For the sake of comparison, consider the Big Three.
The 20-time slam king Roger Federer won 192 of his 221 matches on grass, with a win percentage of 86.9. On the other hand, 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic (currently active) has snatched 120 victories in 140 matches on grass. In short, he’s got a win percentage of 85.7. Lastly, Rafael Nadal’s grass stats show that he had a win percentage of just 79.2, with a 76-20 record.
As of now, Alcaraz, a former World No.1 himself, is on top of the list in terms of highest win percentage on grass. It will be intriguing to see if he maintains it going forth and then at the Wimbledon. Do you think he will pull off a three-peat at the All England Club this season? Let us know in the comments below.
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