Alcaraz and the aspect of his tennis to which he has paid "more attention" lately

Carlos Navarro - 30 Oct 2026 | 20:14
Carlos Alcaraz ATP ATP Viena 2026 Rueda de prensa

In preparation for good performance on hard indoor courts, the player from Murcia revealed in Vienna that there is one aspect of his tennis on which he has focused particularly in recent weeks.

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Alcaraz advances in Vienna and makes an unusual confession.

Carlos Alcaraz advances fearlessly in a tournament with a great past... and, for now, a better present. He is already in the semifinals of the ATP Vienna 2026 without dropping a single set, with performances marked by his great handling of pressure situations, showing his best version when tiebreaks arrive, not giving rivals with immense power and aggression a moment to breathe.

He achieved this against Khachanov and Basilashvili and today, against someone with more feel, angles, and resources like Tommy Paul, he once again stepped up several gears when the match needed it. Finding the consistency he sought before facing greater goals, this weekend could be extraordinary, starting against one of the fittest men on the circuit. Tomorrow he awaits in the semifinals a certain Daniil Medvedev, who defeated the Murcian in their last encounter in Indian Wells, with whom he wants to exact revenge and whose match he anticipates with very interesting reflections.

Alcaraz talks about his duel against Medvedev and highlights serve as a key aspect to improve

Impressions after a great day of tennis: Daniil Medvedev awaits in the semifinals

"I am very happy to reach the semifinals in Vienna again. The way I’m playing, having not lost a set... great. I am really looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and having another great battle. Daniil is playing great, and coming in with a title under your belt always gives you a lot of confidence. I've seen his matches, and he is showing fantastic tennis. He survived yesterday and today he played an amazing match. His style is always complicated to face, with long exchanges and matches. I would say right now, after two or three games, the balls get worn out a lot, and it’s very difficult to generate power. I think he can take advantage of that. I will be ready for a great physical battle, prepared for long exchanges. I will have to do many things during the match and do them perfectly. I will be ready."

When you have so many shots in your repertoire as Carlos does, do you follow your instinct in shot selection or is there a special plan? Do you consider your patience to be one of your strengths or one of your weaknesses?

"Sometimes it’s complicated for me. Tennis is about making decisions in less than a second, that’s what makes this sport difficult. Sometimes that’s tough for me; I struggle to decide what the best shot is in certain situations. Sometimes it comes naturally, I don’t think about it, and sometimes I end up choosing the worst option. I think I can decide on three, four, or five shots in a specific situation... and I choose the worst of all. I’m trying to improve on that. I always have a specific plan in my mind for the first two or three balls. After that, I let my instinct take over and see how the match goes, although sometimes it’s complicated. As for patience, I would say it still hasn’t been my greatest skill."

What does it feel like to be world number one, now that we have a new king on the circuit

"For me, being number one was a dream. It was great. You don’t feel special, honestly. You don’t feel like you are the best player in the world; it’s just a ranking. You do feel, first of all, that feeling of: ‘I’ve achieved it.’ It’s special. When I achieved it in 2022, I was very young. It had been my dream since I started playing tennis. I was very, very happy. That dream also came true when I won a Grand Slam, something that happened at the same time. Combined dreams on the same day, making it very special. After that, in fact, I struggled a bit to find motivation. The following month, I struggled. It’s part of your job; you always have to keep your feet on the ground and think about the upcoming tournaments. I’m sure Sascha will be motivated for the next tournament, but yes, being number one is always a great feeling."

Would facing Zverev in a hypothetical final be the most important match since your return to the circuit?

"I don’t want to get ahead of myself or think too far ahead. First, I have to play tomorrow against someone who is at a very high level. We’ll see who I face on Sunday; Sascha has to win tomorrow. There are still several steps to get to the final; it’s not something I want to think about right now."

Serve percentages today, over 80% first serves in

"The serve has been a great weapon today. The serve is becoming a fundamental factor in the tennis world; we are seeing more players serving very well and improving that shot. It’s something I’ve always trained, and perhaps in the last few weeks, I’ve been putting more intention into improving it. Obviously, against someone like Paul, who I know is a great returner and puts a lot of pressure on you, having a very good percentage of first serves always helps for confidence later from the baseline, to start as many points as possible attacking the first ball, and that’s what happened today, that my serve saved me from tricky situations. When you have free points, it’s always appreciated, so I’m happy about that, and we will try to keep it up, as in indoor conditions it’s a more powerful and essential weapon. Days like today help with confidence."

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