Legendary coach knows what Carlos Alcaraz needs to do to go to the next level

Alcaraz Alcaraz

One of Carlos Alcaraz's main goals this season was to finally find that consistency that he had always lacked in previous seasons. The young Spanish ace has already shown that he has a talent beyond all logic and has already won a lot if you consider that he is just 22 years old, as well as having been at the top of the ATP rankings for 36 weeks and having won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics a year ago.

However, the rise of his top rival Jannik Sinner has forced Carlitos and his team to look for new solutions to get closer to the top of the ATP rankings, which the Italian ace has monopolized for 60 weeks in a row.

Rick Macci has advice for Alcaraz

Alcaraz's 2025 had not started brilliantly, indeed the young star from Murcia had a crisis during the spring suffering a shocking elimination in the second round of the Miami Open. He took a little vacation with his family after that tournament and made his intentions clear, returning to play his best tennis on his beloved red clay.

Since that time, Carlitos has been almost unstoppable lifting the trophy in Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros and the Queen's Club. The world No.2 reached his third final in a row at the Wimbledon Championships and hoped to become the youngest ever to win six Major titles, but his run in London ended in the final against a deluxe version of Sinner who made Italian tennis history.

Through his official X profile, legendary coach Rick Macci – who also worked with the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) at the beginning of their careers – gave an important piece of advice to the 22-year-old Spaniard: “Carlos can to go to the next level if he controls the center of the court. Because he is the Spanish Cheetah he can play too far back and run track. If he is dealing the cards on the rise and plays with his eyes he has a better shot at the prize."

Alcaraz: Grass Game Most Beautiful Form of Tennis

"The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass, I think is so beautiful," Carlos Alcaraz said. Alcaraz

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Saturday, June 28, 2025
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport

An old adage states beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Grass-court tennis is the game’s most alluring surface for Carlos Alcaraz.

Tennis Express

Two-time Wimbledon champion Alcaraz proclaims the lawn game is the most transcendent tennis for players and fans.

“I think the most beautiful tennis that we can watch is on grass,” Alcaraz told the media at Wimbledon today. “The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass, I think is so beautiful.

“The sound of the ball. The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it's kind of you're flying (smiling).”

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

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Grass rewards the five-time Grand Slam champion’s athleticism, aggression and all-court acumen, which are among the reasons Alcaraz loves lawns.

“It's just pretty well to me because I really want to hit slices, dropshots, going to the net all the time, playing aggressively,” Alcaraz said. “I think on grass it's the style that you have to play. So that's what I like the most.”

Riding a career-best 18-match winning streak into his Wimbledon title defense, Alcaraz opens Centre Court play against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

It’s Alcaraz's first match since he beat Jiri Lehecka to win Queen’s Club—his fourth career grass-court championship equaling Rafa Nadal and Feliciano Lopez for most by a Spanish man in the Oepn Era.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

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The two-time reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner is aiming to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in capturing three consecutive Wimbledon crowns in the Open Era.

Alcaraz said today he’s hunting the title—not necessarily that legacy list.

“I'm coming here thinking that, yeah, I really want to win the title. I really want to lift the trophy,” Alcaraz said. “Not thinking about how much players have done it, you know, winning three Wimbledons in a row.

“I'm just thinking about, okay, I just want to be ready and just want to prepare myself in the best way possible, just to start the tournament with a lot of confident. Obviously I feel a lot of confident right now (smiling).

"But just thinking about still going forward, it's still doing the good things, and start the tournament. So two weeks could be really long on a Grand Slam, but right now I'm not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.”

While media and fan speculation over Alcaraz’s relationship with US Open mixed doubles partner Emma Raducanu has run rampant since his UK return, the five-time Grand Slam champion has been busy teeing off with another British major winner.

“I play some golf. Actually, I play with Andy Murray on Monday and a few more players,” Alcaraz said of post Queen’s Club activity. “Just went to the center a little bit. Just wanted to go to the center a little bit, walk around, have a good food, and just having quality time with them doing some stuff that probably I wouldn't be able to do it while the tournament is on.”

Raducanu on Relationship with Alcaraz

"“We go back a long way," Emma Raducanu said of US Open mixed doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz.2021 US Open title

By Tennis Now | @TennisNow | Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Photo credit: Nathan Stirk/Getty for LTA

Before they were Grand Slam champions, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu were friends.

The 2022 US Open champion Alcaraz will partner 2021 US Open title holder Raducanu in a star-studded US Open Mixed Doubles event in August.

Tennis Express

That partnership—and Raducanu's appearance to watch Alcaraz play Queen's Club last week—is prompting some media and fans to speculate its destiny the two young superstars will develop a romantic relationship.

Asked about their friendship, Raducanu told BBC "we go back a long way."

“We go back a long way and I think that we both started getting to know each other a lot in 2021,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. "We were like speaking and friends before anyone won anything.”

The pair will play for a $1 Million champion's check in the newly revamped US Open Mixed Doubles event, which features the deepest draw in Flushing Meadows Mixed Doubles history.

Asked if it's destiny the pair will be together, a smiling Raducanu laughed at the question.

"I'm glad the internet is having fun and we're providing some entertainment for everyone," Raducanu replied. 

Zheng Qinwen Cracks Top-4, 17-Year-Old Jovic Reaches Top 100

The Chinese star hits a new career-high after her semifinal run at Queen's Club. Bianca Andreescu

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday June 16, 2025

Zheng Qinwen has become the second Chinese woman to hold a Top-4 ranking. Only two-time major champion Li Na, who topped out at No.2, has done better.

22-year-old Zheng, who reached the semifinals at Queen’s Club last week, leapfrogs Jasmine Paolini in Monday’s WTA rankings.

Tennis Express

Zheng is the fourth woman born in the 2000s to hold a Top-4 ranking, along with Bianca Andreescu, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.

Maria Biggest Mover

The biggest riser inside the WTA’s Top-100 is Tatjana Maria, who jumps 43 spots to No.43 after claiming the title in Queen’s. The 37-year-old German is one spot shy of her career-high ranking, and is the oldest player inside the Top 100.

Jovic Cracks Top 100

Torrance, California native Iva Jovic won the 125K event in Ilkley, defeating Rebecca Marino in the final, and thus rises 26 spots to No.89 in the world. The American is the only player that has not turned 18 to rank inside of the WTA’s Top 200.

Only two teenagers – Mirra Andreeva and Maya Joint – currently rank higher than Jovic.