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Carlos Alcaraz Reveals one Major Deficiency in his Game so far at Wimbledon

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 4:26 PM ET

Carlos Alcaraz’s serve remains a slight concern despite his smooth progress at Wimbledon. The world No. 2 continues to work on that part of his game, especially after early struggles in the tournament. His second serve percentages, in particular, may be an issue as he heads into tougher matches.

In his second-round win over Oliver Tarvet, Alcaraz looked far more composed than in his five-set opener against Fabio Fognini. He beat the British qualifier in straight sets, wrapping up the match in just over two hours. It was a much-needed routine win after a shaky start to the event. Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference:

Here at Wimbledon, I’m struggling a bit with my serve. In terms of balls and speed, I feel things are different between Queen’s and this tournament. I’m facing some difficulties, but every day I’m gaining more confidence. Today, I believe I served better. I would say the serve is the main aspect I need to improve on right now.

Although his first serve percentage improved to 65% against Tarvet—up from 58% against Fognini—his second serve remained vulnerable. He won just 53% of those points, barely better than his 52% in round one. That might not cost him against lower-ranked players, but it could against top opponents.

Alcaraz had been excellent on serve at Queen’s Club before Wimbledon. There, he didn’t drop serve in his last three matches. In the final, he won 87% of his first serve points and over 72% on his second. Replicating that level will be key if he hopes to defend his title.

Oliver Tarvet’s coach is the key to his success

Oliver Tarvet made an impressive start to his Wimbledon journey, crediting his early coaches for the foundation of his success. After coming through qualifying, the 733rd-ranked Brit earned a straight-sets win over Leandro Riedi on Court 4, setting up a second-round meeting with Carlos Alcaraz.

Making his Grand Slam debut, Tarvet played with confidence and composure. He later shared that having familiar faces—friends and former coaches—in the crowd gave him an emotional lift. Their support, he said, was vital to his win.

Tarvet began playing tennis in St Albans at Batchwood Tennis Centre. His early development came under the guidance of Ben Wood, Barry Figg, and Jordan Gazard. These mentors helped shape his game and played key roles during his junior years.

Now competing in the US college circuit at the University of San Diego, Tarvet has taken his game to another level. His first coaches, especially Gazard and Figg, continue to take pride in their part in his journey, having trained and travelled with him during his early rise.

Carlos Alcaraz already ahead of Roger Federer in one category

Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz is quickly establishing himself as one of the most dominant grass-court players in the modern era. He became the fastest former world No. 1 in the Open Era to reach 30 wins on grass, achieving the milestone after defeating Fabio Fognini in the 2025 Wimbledon first round. Remarkably, he did so with only three losses on the surface.

In comparison, Rafael Nadal reached 30 grass-court wins in 37 matches, ahead of Roger Federer’s 41 and Novak Djokovic’s 41 as well. Despite Federer and Djokovic’s dominance at Wimbledon, Nadal holds the better early grass-court win record among the trio. Alcaraz, however, has now surpassed even those early career marks.

Tied for second fastest behind Alcaraz in reaching 30 grass wins are John McEnroe and Boris Becker, who each required 35 matches. Both legends lifted three Wimbledon titles, a feat Alcaraz is now targeting this year as he aims to match their tally on Centre Court.

Alcaraz has won 13 consecutive matches on grass, dating back to a loss at Queen’s Club in 2024. Since then, he’s gone undefeated at Wimbledon, including back-to-back final wins over Novak Djokovic in 2023 and 2024. His last loss at SW19 was to Jannik Sinner in 2022.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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