FFor the final rally of his two-week triumphal march from Miami, Carlos Alcaraz unpacked a tactic that had basically died out in professional tennis before he was born himself. The 18-year-old played serve and volley. A placed serve that propelled his opponent off the field to the right, followed by a quick move to the net, then a volley stop to the left. Point, game, set and match. Tournament victory in this case even. His first at one of the big events of the ATP tour, the Masters category, which probably finally catapulted the Spaniard into the league of stars in his sport.
The 7: 5, 6: 4 on Sunday against the Norwegian Casper Ruud, which was never seriously threatened, was something like the logical culmination of Alcaraz’s appearances in Florida. His successes in the previous rounds had been so impressive that one would not have believed him capable of this last step. And yet, in the seconds after the match point, one could observe how the almost untouchable tennis fighter became an almost inconspicuous tennis boy again.
