What to expect from Carlos Alcaraz during grass swing as the Spaniard aims to defend his Wimbledon title

Carlos Alcaraz lit up Wimbledon in 2023 by winning the Championship in front of a packed crowd at the Center Court. The Spaniard, who had historically struggled on the grass courts, defeated the seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final to win his maiden Wimbledon title.

With a US Open title already under his belt in 2022, Alcaraz winning the Wimbledon felt like a changing of the guard in men's tennis. The 21-year-old has since won the French Open title in 2024 and will start Wimbledon as one of the favourites to defend his title.

Carlos Alcaraz's improved grass court form in 2023

Initially, Carlos Alcaraz struggled on the grass courts. The Spaniard could only win four matches during his first couple of years competing on the European grass. However, there was a rapid improvement in Alcaraz's form in 2023.

Carlos Alcaraz was unbeaten during the grass swing in 2023, winning 12 matches and losing none. The Spaniard won the Cinch Championship at the Queen's Club to add a first-ever grass-court title to his trophy cabinet. He then followed it up with a Wimbledon triumph to win his second Grand Slam title.

Carlos Alcaraz with the Wimbledon trophy in 2023

Alcaraz's improved grass-court form is down to his changes in the game. The Spaniard is now much more suited to the slow nature of the grass court and has started to use his drop shots to better effect. His unbeaten run on the grass in 2023 has propelled his win percentage on the surface to 86.36%, his best among all the other surfaces.

Fresh off of winning the French Open in Paris, Alcaraz will be keen to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles for the first time in his career. Courtesy of his much improved form on grass now, the Spaniard is expected to go deep at the Wimbledon, in his bid to defend his title.

What to expect from Carlos Alcaraz during the grass swing in 2024?

Carlos Alcaraz will be defending not one, but two titles during the grass swing in 2024. The Spaniard will kick off his title defence of the Cinch Championships at the Queen's Club before gunning for back-to-back titles at Wimbledon.

The Spaniard has already confirmed his participation in Queens, following a little vacation after his French Open win. The 21-year-old was seen partying with his friends and family after winning his maiden Roland Garros title.

Carlos Alcaraz will start Wimbledon as the favourite to defend his title. The young Spaniard is the most in-form player on the tour right now and solidified his place as the World No. 2. With Novak Djokovic's participation unsure due to knee surgery and Jannik Sinner yet to find his feet on grass, Alcaraz will be the man to watch out for at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London.

Alcaraz's other potential challengers have failed to make a mark on the grass courts of Wimbledon. Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov are yet to make any real impact at the SW19 and Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have failed to adapt their game to the demands of Wimbledon.

While Alcaraz is expected to light up Wimbledon once again, he would be cautious to avoid a repeat of last's year post-Wimbledon form. The Spaniard struggled after his Wimbledon win and went trophyless throughout the rest of the year. However, the 21-year-old is more experienced now and would be keen to add to his unbeaten run on the grass court.

A week's break between the Cinch Championships and the Wimbledon will be important for Alcaraz to rest and recover for his title defence in London. The Spaniard has excelled under the mentorship of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and it is hard to imagine Alcaraz being complacent after his title win in Paris

Carlos Alcaraz is growing in stature as the future of men's tennis. The Spanish superstar has already won three Grand Slam titles at the age of 21 and could very well dominate for years to come. However, not many players have defended their Wimbledon title in the first attempt, and a win at the All England Lawn Tennis Club will be further proof of Alcaraz's incredible talent.