London: The eyes of the attention economy are where Carlos Alcaraz would like them — peeled on him. Some 5000 air miles from SW19, where The Championships get underway on a blazing-hot Monday, an emigration officer at the Kempegowda International Airport jumped out of his seat at the mention of Wimbledon.“Alcaraz again?” the official, a bright-eyed millennial, asked of the Spaniard’s chances.Again? After his triumph at Roland Garros three weeks ago, or the fact that the 22-year-old comes into the Church Road major as the defending champion? The two-time winner is looking for a third crown that’ll make him the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive titles. Alcaraz, whose list of sponsors reads like the inventory of the aspirational, has a game and attitude tailored for instant recall. It’s hard to pick between his breathtaking drop shots, struck with a whisper of a touch and his daredevilry, especially when the odds are stacked against him.
He has such a staggering range, it’s almost obscene. He smiles on a match court, applauds opponents, overrules lines and gives points to the man down the other end like he was returning a social call. In an era of wavering attention spans, the defending champion is a vibe that sticks. The world No.2, also known as ‘Carlito’ and Jannik Sinner, the world No.1, some 20-months apart in age, are like day and night. The Spaniard, who beat the Italian in an epic five-hour 29-minute final three weeks ago, plays with enviable flair. His game is as much instinct as it is imperial, and he doesn’t quite know what it is to stick to scripts, while the only thing unruly about Sinner is his mop of curls. For the rest, the 23-year-old, the owner of the cleanest shots in the game, is all method and precise margins. The work Sinner puts into his tennis reflects in his play, but with Alcaraz, it is like his sweat doesn’t stain.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? The second seed, who hit on Aorangi Park on Sunday afternoon sporting a red tee on black shorts, looked slighter than he does on television. Alcaraz, bidding to record his 19th consecutive Tour-level match-win and extend his longest career winning streak, will open proceedings on Centre Court against the 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini on what promises to be the hottest opening day ever of the tournament at 32 degrees. The Spaniard — the first teenage world No.1 on the ATP Tour, the youngest in history — played on a grass court for the first time only in 2019. “The most beautiful tennis is (played) on grass. The style that players bring to the court when they play on grass, is so beautiful. The sound of the ball, the movement is really tough, but when you get it, it’s kind of like you’re flying,” he said with a smile. “It’s just pretty, I want to hit slices, dropshots, go to the net all the time, play aggressively. I think on grass it’s the style that you have to play. That’s what I like the most.” The love resonates with Alcaraz’ record on the surface, he has won 29 of the 32 Tour-level grass-court matches he has contested. In the final at Roland Garros when the second seed, serving to stay in the match at 5-6, 15-30 in the fifth set, played the last 15-minutes of the match with the lightness of one who had nothing to lose. The crowd lifted him and he rose to the occasion. “When I’m playing without thinking about anything else, I get the freedom to play whatever I like. When that happens, I always show my best tennis,” he said. Alcaraz will hope to fly again this fortnight, looking to nail another record.
