The Chess Player Inside Carlos Alcaraz

Training his mind with chess may be the reason why Carlos Alcaraz confidently dropped or lobbed the ball coldly at the crucial moment against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.

Game 10, set 5, Wimbledon 2023 final, Alcaraz faced the most important moment of his career at the age of 20 when he was down 0-15. In the previous point, he dropped but did not get over the net. After a few long rallies, the Spaniard continued to drop and this time made no mistake. Djokovic went to the net to return deep, but Alcaraz immediately lobbed the ball over his opponent's head and scored the point.

Alcaraz celebrates a point after winning 3-2 against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in London, England on July 16, 2023. Photo: Reuters — Alcaraz celebrates a point after winning 3-2 against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in London, England on July 16, 2023. Photo: *Reuters*

Many Wimbledon spectators stood up and raised their hands in appreciation of the young player's shot. On ESPN , tennis expert Spencer Hall also admired Alcaraz's coolness. "He played some brutal shots, forcing the 36-year-old player to repeatedly come to the net to block a drop shot, then go back to the back of the court to defend against a lob," he said.

But the most valuable compliments for Alcaraz came from his opponent - the record holder of the men's Grand Slam singles title. "It hurts to lose such a close match, but you have to acknowledge the talent of Alcaraz," Djokovic said in a press conference after the match on Centre Court (London, England). "He won some great points at the crucial moments. At 20 years old, Alcaraz kept his cool, played attacking tennis and finished the match impressively. I returned a good serve in the last game, but he hit some great shots."

In terms of character, no one has been able to match Djokovic for more than 10 years . In the Open Era, he holds a record 45% win rate after losing the first set in ATP tournaments in his career, with 139 wins and 170 losses. Rafael Nadal's figure is 42.5%, while Roger Federer's is 41.9%. Nadal once said that Djokovic has the mentality of a machine.

Tight matches like the Wimbledon final can be decided in a few moments, and character can solve everything. Another situation in the fifth set, game two, when Alcaraz was serving down 30-40, Djokovic took the initiative in the long rally. The Serb kept pressing Alcaraz's backhand, making the young opponent struggle to defend. Alcaraz's final shot sent the ball flying high and then falling near the net. Djokovic could wait for the ball to bounce, but he always volleyed the ball over the net, then put his hands on his hips in frustration.

Djokovic's miss in set 5 against Alcaraz.

Had Djokovic won that point, he would have led 2-0 in the fifth set and the match could have gone differently. Or had Djokovic not hit the net when he had a chance to win the tie-break in the second set, he would have led by two sets and Alcaraz would have had a much harder time coming back. The 20-year-old himself admitted that if he had lost that tie-break, he could have lost in three straight sets.

After the match, Djokovic said that he had won many such intense matches, so this time losing was fair. Was the key to the final a matter of "give and take" as Djokovic said, or did Alcaraz really have the guts?

Djokovic is known as the "king of comebacks", but in the past year or so that title could be given to Alcaraz, with the highlight being the recent Wimbledon final when he won 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. In the last 52 weeks, Alcaraz's winning percentage when losing the first set is up to 56.3%, with nine wins and seven losses. This cannot be compared to Djokovic's record rate of 45% mentioned above, because the Serbian player has been playing for nearly 20 years. But in the same period, Djokovic's figure was 50% - lower than his junior, with four wins and four losses.

After every important point, Alcaraz often points to his temple. This celebratory gesture is becoming increasingly popular in sports , as footballer Marcus Rashford has long done, to remind people of the importance of mental toughness.

Alcaraz often plays chess to stay focused before tennis matches . His grandfather taught him to play chess when he was a child, and he sees many psychological similarities between the two sports. "Before every match, I usually take a nap and then play chess," he told Marca in March 2022. "In chess, as in tennis, if you lose focus for a moment, you pay the price. Chess helps me stay focused at all times, observe closely and predict what my opponent will do next."

Alcaraz admitted that his mental side was his greatest strength, in another interview with the ATP two months later. "Physical improvement is necessary, but character is more important," he added. "I have improved a lot in terms of my mental game, to win big matches."

Alcaraz in a backhand at the 2023 Wimbledon final. Photo: Reuters — Alcaraz in a backhand at the 2023 Wimbledon final. Photo: *Reuters*

Alcaraz was right, as his performance over the past year has shown remarkable maturity. The Spaniard won the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon. No one before the age of 20 has won two Grand Slams like him. Alcaraz missed the 2023 Australian Open due to injury, and lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of Roland Garros after suffering a cramp. If not for his fitness problems, Alcaraz could have significantly increased his number of major titles.

It is no coincidence that Djokovic gave Alcaraz such compliments after the Wimbledon final. "I have never met a player like Alcaraz," said the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion. "He has the qualities of Federer, Nadal and me. Alcaraz is the best player in the world ."

How successful Alcaraz’s career will be remains a question mark, as there are so many factors that influence it. But for now, fans will be satisfied waiting for the top matches between him and Djokovic. Between them, it is not only a battle of techniques, it is also a battle of psychological talents.

Xuan Binh

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