Carlos Alcaraz Attributes Right Forearm to Solo Work Put in During Pandemic

By Francis Lightfoot

Following the young phenom’s upset win over Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon title, all eyes were on 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz’s astonishingly developed right forearm — which he attributes to tireless work during the pandemic.

“When we were all locked inside. I got to work,” said Alcaraz who at the time of the outbreak was still developing as a teenager, “I’d work my forearm three, four times a day. I’d shut the door and practice the stroke alone in my room. And I’d think about all the other guys who want to be on top and how they were probably doing the same thing and that’s what motivated me to keep going and continually push myself on those days when I was absolutely drained and didn’t think I had anything else left in the bag. But I knew if I wanted to beat the best I had to grab the opportunity and not let it slip away.”

While his astounding growth took aback the rest of the world, those close to Alcaraz say it was only a matter of time. 

“I knew he had potential when I saw him,” said coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, “he was only 16 when we started working together, but I could see he would not let any of the others stop him from reaching the pinnacle of the sport — I’m sure after all the early mornings and long nights, holding the hardware is a delightful climax to his journey.”

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But Ferrero says the work is not done. 

“Now we work on incorporating his left. He is the champion, so opponents will know his strengths, and most importantly, his weaknesses. If you think of the greats — Nadal, Federer, Borg, Sampras — they had no weak hand. He’ll have to grow into it, but being able to use both hands at the same time will make him truly unstoppable.”

Where the young Spaniard goes from here is yet to be determined, but many within the tennis world believe the future is bright. He’s even impressed John McEnroe, who believes once Alcaraz gets a solid grip on his opponent, the outcome is inevitable, adding, “With a forearm like that, no matter how intense the sets get, he’ll finish on top.”

End of the Bench will have more as this story develops.

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