When Carlos Alcaraz put the finishing touches on his comeback against Frances Tiafoe in the third round of Wimbledon, stopping the clock at three hours and 50 minutes, the match statistics showed
that the Spaniard had reeled off 16 aces, with a fastest serve of 135mph and a serving average of 116mph during the encounter.
The upshot of these numbers is clear, the 21-year-old has made significant progress in his delivery.
“It’s something I’ve improved quite a lot,” celebrated Alcaraz after claiming his win over the American. “It’s been on my to-do list for many years: Trying to improve my serve.”
Against Tiafoe, in a clash that was replete with nail-biting moments, Alcaraz’s serve was a lifeline.
It was a weapon he turned to when he found himself in a hole, such as to save a 0/30 at 4-4 in the fourth set, when his opponent was enjoying a 2-1 lead in sets.
