Ahead of his Wimbledon debut in 2021, 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz faced a minor disadvantage compared to rivals like Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Rafael Nadal due to his limited grass-court experience, per Wimbledon. Having grown up on clay in Murcia, Spain, Alcaraz had played only one professional grass-court match before Wimbledon, a Challenger event in 2019, per ATP Tour. His debut at the All England Club, secured via a wildcard, marked his first Tour-level grass match, where he defeated Yasutaka Uchiyama in a five-setter (6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4) before losing to No. 2 seed Medvedev in straight sets (6-4, 6-1, 6-2) in the second round, per Wikipedia.
Alcaraz’s lack of familiarity with grass, which demands quick adaptation to low bounces and fast-paced rallies, contrasted with seasoned players like Djokovic, a four-time Wimbledon champion by 2021, and Medvedev, who had reached the 2017 Eastbourne semifinals, per BBC Sport. Nadal, with two Wimbledon titles, opted out in 2021, but his grass pedigree highlighted the experience gap, per ESPN. Alcaraz noted post-match, “Grass is new for me; I need more matches to feel comfortable,” per Tennis.com. His clay-heavy background, with a 2021 French Open third-round run, meant less time to hone grass-specific skills like serving and volleying, where he managed only 61% first-serve points won against Medvedev, below his season average of 68%, per ATP Tour.
However, Alcaraz’s athleticism and return game, already among the best with a 31% return points won rate in 2021, mitigated some challenges, per ATP Tour. His youth and adaptability were praised by coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who said, “He’s learning fast, but grass takes time,” per Marca. Compared to peers like Jannik Sinner, who had a 2019 Wimbledon wildcard and more grass exposure, Alcaraz’s inexperience was a slight hurdle, but his 12-3 record in 2021 Challenger events showed rapid growth potential, per ITF Tennis.
