How does Alcaraz trap Sinner in the backhand corner? Like Nadal used to do against Federer

Indian Express

24-05-2025

This weekend, after 20 years, Rafael Nadal wouldn't be competing for the French Open title. Novak Djokovic will be there, but in a way, he too isn't in the competition to take the Cup home. At 38, he looks too jaded, too uninspired to win five-setters on clay against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the 20-something stars ready to conquer the world.
Generational shifts can take a toll on fans. It's tempting to get wistful about the end of tennis's golden age, entertain thoughts of staying aloof to the happenings at Roland Garros. It's also a guilt-ridden ordeal to switch loyalties, root for the new stars when the old ones are still around. But like market analysts love to say during every churn — it is always wise to stay invested.
The new crowd-pullers, Alcaraz and Sinner are still works in progress but there is a bit of the Biggest 3 in the current Top 2. Watch Alcaraz, and Sinner carefully to stumble upon a few snatches of the incredible era that has just passed us. When the two face-off — like they did in the Italian Open this week and a repeat is expected this French Open — there is a whiff of those many iconic duels that divided the world that felt lucky to have lived in the Age of GOATs. Not full-length blockbusters to match the classics, but reels and shorts.
At Rome where Alcaraz won 7-6, 6-1, there were those fleeting moments that reminded of the cat & mouse hustle of Federer vs Nadal vs Djokovic match days. Alcaraz beating Sinner on his home ground wasn't a match for ages. Historically, the Spaniard has the Italian's number, he mostly gets the better of him. But it is not to say Sinner didn't have a chance or that his straight sets loss didn't have intrigue or promise of a riveting rivalry in the future. Not quite the teaser, it was more of a prequel before the French Open.
El vigente campeón.El n°1 de mundo.
El reencuentro en #RolandGarros entre Alcaraz y Sinner. ¿Se verán por primera vez en una final de Grand Slam? 👀 pic.twitter.com/xNq9qWwf4u
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 23, 2025
Like it was on Italian clay last Sunday, when the two meet, rallies are expected to be on one side of the court – a series of backhand cross-courts by two hard-hitting right-handers stationed slightly on the left of the court. Both would try to press the other to hit a soft return probably around the mid-court so that they can unleash their big inside out forehand. Whoever manages to play percentage tennis – deep incisive shots on the rival's backhand – would be favourite to win. In Rome, Alcaraz did it and so he won.
This trend was best captured by that one crucial point that decided the match. Sinner was a point away from taking the first set, he led 6-5, 40-30. This was the time when Alcaraz had to play percentage tennis and also be true to his Plan A.
The Spaniard hit a near perfect top-spinner on the backhand that landed close to baseline and he stood waiting for a lame return, expecting a defensive shot in mid-court that he could destroy. Sinner thought of attacking the ball and opted for a very difficult backhand down-the-line, one-knee jump backhand pass. Glory or nothing.
He missed the line by a distance. If it was not clay, had it not been Alcaraz, Sinner might have been able to pull off the tough shot. But not against Alcaraz, when he is landing the ball where he wants — deep in the backhand corner.
This 'play' has history, it is part of a very important tennis culture. Like any self-respecting Spaniard, the boy from El Palmar who grew up on red-clay, banks on this heavy top-spin ball to pin his opponents on the baseline. It's Spain's national clay-tactic from the days of Sergi Bruguera and later mastered by the Clay King himself, Nadal. Alcaraz's spin on the ball is nowhere near Nadal's whiplash forehand that would send the ball in a crazy tizzy but he does get a mean bounce.
Nadal re-romanticised Federer's famous single-handed backhand with this tactic. He exploited the limitation of one wrist, forearm and shoulder to control and impart power to high top-spinners. The Swiss champion would always find it tough to bring the ball down that never stopped climbing on him. Later in his rivalry with Nadal, he would opt for a racket with a larger frame as he wanted a bigger sweet spot.
Tout le monde aurait perdu ce point
Alcaraz a finalement écœuré Sinner pic.twitter.com/MNqZgFKz8Z
— TennisTemple (@tennistemple) May 18, 2025
'Backhand heist'
Alcaraz's 'backhand heist' against Sinner is slightly different. At Rome, he would reduce the pace of his shot but made it a point to play them deep on Sinner's left. Once in a while, he would even float a moon ball. Alcaraz knows that in case he engages Sinner in fast backhand cross court rallies, he could be blown away. The Italian has power and consistency. But hitting the ball in slow parabolas, he can possibly disturb Sinner's rhythm and force him to generate his own power.
This results in unforced errors or feeble returns that can be despatched with ease. Hitting the ball consistently on the baseline has another advantage on clay. Since it's the court's most foot-stomped area, bounce also isn't consistent. There isn't an inch of clay court that the Spaniards don't know.
What will always give Alcaraz an edge over Sinner on clay is his footwork and shot variety. The Spaniard has it in his tennis DNA to float around on clay, nor scamper around. He doesn't over-run the ball or stutter before hitting it. Sinner, on clay, does both at times. A problem that vanishes on hard courts.
When in flow, Alcaraz makes his opponents look inadequate with his variety. The point with which he broke Sinner for the first tie in the second set showcased his arsenal. A flat hard first serve, few forehand cross courts, a moon ball on the backhand, deep slice on the forehand and finally the sucker punch. Having left the left side of the court vacant chasing the slice on the forehand, the Italian gets ready to sprint towards the backhand. Just as he takes off, Alcaraz, at the very last minute, decides to play his trademark audacious drop shot.
The ball drops dead close to the net, Sinner deflates at the baseline. Mind you, the points won and lost at the Rome finals didn't end with full stops, it was a comma and they came with 'to be continued' post-script. Rome gave an idea about what Paris could be and how future Alcaraz-Sinner clay encounters would unfold.
The French Open wouldn't be what it used to be. The page has turned, characters replaced, storyline changed but the play has a 'seen this before' feel. It's new wine, new bottle but there is a strange aftertaste that seems all too familiar.