By the time Casper Ruud had completed his typically tenacious comeback to capture victory in the opening scuffle of this year’s Laver Cup, Carlos Alcaraz was on the floor. The Spaniard had worked harder than any other player on the sidelines as he repeatedly cheered, animated the crowd and offered a steady stream of thoughtful tactical advice to his teammate. He reacted to Ruud’s triumphant final smash with a jubilant scream, his legs dramatically giving way as he slid down his seat on to the ground.
Alcaraz is well aware of his status as the leading star of this year’s event, and in his third Laver Cup outing, the seven-time grand slam champion at times practically took on the role of Europe’s third coach behind Yannick Noah and Tim Henman. This provided a number of insightful glimpses into the way he sees the sport. During one exchange with Ruud, Alcaraz suggested that the Norwegian should attempt more down-the-line backhands and drop shots to draw Francisco Cerundolo, his opponent, into uncomfortable positions on the court. Whether Ruud possesses the skillset to follow Alcaraz’s tactics is another question, but the reasoning he gave for those suggestions was particularly interesting: The ultimate goal, Alcaraz said, should be to “make [Cerundolo] think a little bit more.”
On the opening day of the Laver Cup Team Europe established an early 3-1 lead over Team World and the focus of this weekend at the O2 Arena is on the two teams rather than any one player. However, in some ways this week carries greater individual significance for Alcaraz than anyone else. While the other players are moving towards the final stretch of a long, gruelling season that has taken them around the world, Alcaraz is still just finding his way back. With the season nearing its conclusion, Alcaraz has minimal time to rediscover his top form.
Alcaraz and Jakub Mensik’s 6-4, 6-4 win over Alexander Bublik and Taylor Fritz marked just the second competitive appearance of Alcaraz’s comeback after being sidelined for four and a half months, from April till August, due to a right wrist injury. His first tournament at the US Open two weeks ago, ended in remarkable fashion: Alcaraz beaming in the corridor after losing a fifth set tiebreak against Ben Shelton at 3.33am, so happy he was to be healthy, tussling with top players in front of passionate fans and feeling like himself on the court again.
Coming back from lengthy injury layoffs is challenging for all players and it can take time for many to find their form and rhythm. However, his time away also presents a rare opportunity. The indoor swing at the end of the year remains the one stretch of the season that Alcaraz, the youngest man to ever achieve the career grand slam, is yet to conquer. The faster indoor conditions have sometimes exposed Alcaraz more temperamental serve in the past, but his diminished form at this stage of the season has often been a consequence of his physical and mental fatigue.
For once, he is fresh. Alcaraz returns to the Laver Cup attempting to take a step towards finding his form after such a disruptive injury and finish the season as triumphantly as it began: “I know that I have really important tournaments ahead of me, tournaments that I really want to win at least once, and if we see the record for me, the last part of the season it’s never been my good point,” he said. “But hopefully, right now that I’m just fresh mentally, physically, I’m feeling great. So hopefully, I’m gonna do great tournaments and try to find my good tennis again soon.”
After Ruud’s tight 6-7 (4), 6-4, 10-8 win over Cerundolo and Team World Brandon Nakashima’s 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 win over Mensik, the evening session was defined by one statement performance, a reminder that despite the fact that although Alcaraz is still just 23 years old, an even younger Spanish talent has arrived. On a day that Jannik Sinner announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Beijing Open on Friday, extending his injury layoff to three months, and during an overall depressing ATP season ravaged by so many injuries, the ascension of the 19-year-old Rafael Jodar has been one of the brightest developments.
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Jodar marked his O2 Arena debut with a near flawless performance, picking apart Bublik’s game with his spotless, destructive shotmaking off both wings, and he wreaked havoc on one of the biggest serves on the tour as he led 6-2, 4-0 before closing out a 6-2, 6-3 win. Jodar’s stratospheric level of play was best reflected in the raised eyebrows and shocked facial expressions from the groups of players spread across both team benches. Back in the warm-up room, as he prepared for his upcoming doubles match, the Spaniard’s performance surely provoked a few more vigorous fist pumps from his elder countryman, who by comparison is now an old veteran.
