Rennae Stubbs has suggested that Carlos Alcaraz’s service motion, modeled after Novak Djokovic’s, may have contributed to his wrist injury. Before the Australian Open, Alcaraz acknowledged that his new serve closely resembled Djokovic’s technique, saying, “I wasn’t thinking about making the same serve as Djokovic. But at the end, I can even see the similarities.”
Read More
Alcaraz's changes to his serve helped him secure his first Australian Open title, completing a career Grand Slam at the age of 22. However, shortly after, he suffered a wrist injury that forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon, sidelining him for nearly five months.
Upon returning to competition, observers noted that Alcaraz’s revised service motion, which includes a lower ball toss and lifting his toes on his front leg, was less effective. He faced multiple service breaks during his title run at the Japan Open, relying heavily on his groundstrokes.
Stubbs, who coaches Serena Williams, commented on her podcast that Alcaraz’s alterations may have negatively impacted his wrist. She stated, “I think one of the reasons why Alcaraz is struggling so much with the wrist is because he changed that service motion. He did that little dropped wrist like Novak Djokovic, and I do think that f***** up his wrist.”
She believes these adjustments have taken a toll and suggested that Alcaraz’s serve lacked potency during the US Open mixed doubles competition. Stubbs indicated that improving his serve is essential for Alcaraz, particularly on faster courts.
As for Jannik Sinner, who has faced his own injury concerns, both players are expected to be main contenders moving forward. However, Stubbs cautioned that if Alcaraz does not enhance his serve, he may become more vulnerable in upcoming matches.