Exclusive | Alcaraz already an all-surface great, will win quite a few Australian Open titles too: Somdev Devvarman

Ask any former tennis player or expert and they will tell you that what we witnessed in the French Open men’s singles final last Sunday was nothing short of pure magic on a tennis court. For the first time ever a Grand Slam men’s final featured two players born in the 2000s and it turned out to be the longest final at the Stade Roland Garros in the Open Era (since 1968). It was also a comeback win that will be remembered forever in the annals of international tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz, who saved three Championship points after being two sets to love down , became the first player since Roger Federer to win his first five Grand Slam finals and also the third-youngest male player to win five Slams, after Bjorn Borg (21) and Rafael Nadal (22).

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The level of tennis that we were treated to – on all fronts – courtesy Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, was nothing short of mesmerising and it proved that the two current best men’s singles players in the world have pulled very far ahead of the rest of the pack in men’s tennis. That is also a sentiment that has been echoed by former India tennis player, Somdev Devvarman, a three-time Asian Games medallist and someone who played in all four of the Grand Slams.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Somdev talked about his observations of Alcaraz and Sinner, why he feels Alcaraz, who has already won five Slam titles by the age of 22, can go on to win Australian Open titles as well - the only Slam he is yet to win.

Somdev also discusses imilarities and differences between Alcaraz, who was bred on the red clay courts of Spain, and his idol and compatriot, Rafael Nadal, who owns the record for the most number of French Open singles titles (14). Last, but not the least, he also opens up on the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, among other topics.

Firstpost: Som, first-up - the French Open men’s final this time- what was this match that we witnessed? Alcaraz coming back from two sets down, saving three Championship points, the longest French Open final of all time. Your take on the level of tennis that was on display in this clash…

Somdev Devvarman: The level of tennis was absolutely insane. I have never seen anything like it. The physicality of the match was off the charts, the execution was off the charts. The mentality of both players – to be two sets to love down and believe that you can still come back. Sinner had match point and is serving for the match, but Alcaraz still believes. Then in the fifth set, anybody watching would have thought – ‘ok, Alcaraz is going to run away with this’. There was no cramping, the guys just kept going. There were no sportsmanship problems, no bathroom breaks, no complaining. In the fifth set, Sinner got a bad call, but he just wiped the mark and moved on.

So, from a purist’s point of view – it was one of the most incredible things. And they did it for the whole match, pretty much every minute of it. In tennis nowadays you see so many different tactics that people try to use to win. It’s almost normal. As much as everybody loves Novak, even he is sometimes guilty of complaining a little bit or something else. These guys (Alcaraz and Sinner) just didn’t do that. For five and a half hours, they took our sport to a completely new level that we have never seen before. I know it sounds cliched, but if this is what’s in store for the future of men’s singles tennis, then tennis is really, really winning.

FP: As someone who has played on the biggest of stages in world tennis, you have to say that you need to have ice in your veins to be two sets down and Championship points down to come back and triumph from there. What does this win in particular tell you about Carlos Alcaraz?

SD: He is really something special. Whichever way you want to look at it. Wining five Grand Slam titles by the age of 22 – you are suddenly talking very, very special numbers. First of all, you have to give credit to his family, you have to give credit to his team – the amount of work that they have put into him. Plus, a lot of people put in all that work by taking out a little bit of the artistry.

Alcaraz, I think, is the perfect mix of being an absolute warrior, while still being an artist. He enjoys going out there and painting on his canvas. He enjoys playing a whole different array of shots that most people don’t hit. And he does it time and time again. He is not fazed by tough situations. He goes after those shots even in the toughest of situations. He believes in himself in every situation and he backs himself. There are very few athletes who back themselves as much as Carlos Alcaraz.

And he is improving. Every part of his game is getting better. His serve has improved, his backhand has improved, the speed on his forehand, his focus, his determination, his fitness, his physicality, his court and overall tennis IQ. And the cool thing about him is that he is so respectful to everybody else and in turn everybody else is so respectful to him. If the game at the top is going to be played like this, then the trickle-down effect is just going to be absolutely the best thing for tennis.

FP: It’s incredible in a way to see that almost right after Rafa’s departure from world tennis, we already have someone who could well go onto maybe even rival what Rafa accomplished at the French Open. Of course, Spaniards are bred on clay courts, but even then, Alcaraz, the way he has shaped up on the red clay courts is incredible, isn’t it, not to mention grass, considering he has 2 Wimbledon titles also, already. And to think that he is only 22… There is a lot of talk about which is Alcaraz’s favourite surface. Going by what you have seen of him so far, what is your take on that, as of now. Maybe he can go on to become an all-surface great…

SD: He is (already) an all-surface great. If any player in the past had these numbers you would call them an all-surface great. The first Slam he won – the US Open (2022), I believe he saved a match point against Sinner in the quarter-final. The way it works is – there are a lot of players who are very, very good on hard courts (currently). There are very few players who are naturally good on grass. The best ones always find a way. But that is also usually later in their careers, not as early as Alcaraz, who has already won two Wimbledon titles (2023 and 2024). There are also a few great clay-courters.

Again, the weapons that Alcaraz possesses, would make him great on any surface. He is by far one of the best volleyers in the game. He has fantastic hands, great vision. He moves really well, he slides very well. He hits it out of the corners as well as anybody. His serve is improving, his returns are great. This time on the clay (at the French Open), he was taking the returns early against some players and coming in and rushing them. So, the guy was playing all-court tennis on a clay court. And he was doing it consistently from the start of the tournament till the end.

FP: You saw and studied Rafa when he was playing - at his peak and towards the end of his career especially - if you were to compare Nadal with Alcaraz - both coming from the same Spanish stable of tennis players – what would you say are the similarities and the big differences?

SD: There are a lot of differences. They (Nadal and Alcaraz) play tennis completely differently. Rafa’s style is completely different because he is left-handed. The way he (Nadal) approached the game, the go-to shots he had and the pattern – the first thing that any viewer would be easily able to identify is that the patterns that Rafa played were completely different from the patterns that Carlos Alcaraz goes after.

The similarities are the belief, some of the shot-making abilities in tight situations, backing themselves in the big points, going after their forehands or even their backhands for that matter – both of them are very, very special in doing that. They move incredibly well. They both volley incredibly well, but also very differently. Rafa comes in when he is completely in control of the point, Alcaraz does a lot of sneak attacks, he forces the issue a little bit. He (Alcaraz) is a little bit more creative when it comes to that aspect.

FP: Australian Open is the only Slam that Alcaraz hasn’t won yet - he hasn’t been past the quarter final stage in fact at the Rod Laver arena, whereas he won the other hard-court Slam, the US Open, three years ago, in 2022. Do you see Alcaraz going on to win quite a few Australian Open titles as well, just going by what his hard-court game is like, so far?

SD: Yes. I do. The signs make it quite obvious that he is going to (win Australian Open titles). A lot of this boils down to tinkering. When Novak finally figured out what he needed to do in Australia, he went on an absolute rampage. He (Djokovic) won (Australian Open) once (first title in 2008) and then he didn’t win in 2009 and 2010 – when Rafa and Roger won the titles. And then in 2011 when Novak came back, he went on a rampage. So, for even someone like Novak, it took him some time and then he figured it out.

I do believe that the rivalry between him and Sinner will go back and forth, quite a bit. Both of them are obviously playing at a very high level and there are only so many times when you are going to save match points and then come back and win. There’s no reason to doubt that he (Alcaraz) will find a way to succeed in Australia. Look at the players he has lost to in the past – they have been absolute top guys, so it’s just a matter of time.

FP: You talked about the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner. When you look at the other players on the tour, do you see quite a big gulf that has already formed between these two players and the rest of the pack? Alexander Zverev is ranked third behind Sinner and Alcaraz, but he is yet to win a Slam and he is 28. Do you think Alcaraz and Sinner have just pulled very far ahead of the rest?

SD: Yes, they have. Without a doubt. They have pulled very far ahead. They have almost separated themselves. The question now is – how are the other guys going to catch up? Because, in terms of their level, it’s unprecedented.

FP: A quick word now on Sinner - so close, yet so far. This was his first French Open final. World number one and three-time Grand Slam winner, but still no titles on either clay or grass. Would you say that after seeing how he beat Djokovic in the semis at the French Open, only someone like Alcaraz could have stopped him – snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the Grand Slams…

SD: On grass I think it’s a different story, but on clay the guy (Sinner) is just at a very, very high level. I think Sinner has found a way to take his game to a new level completely and the world better watch out. If he is hitting the ball that consistently, that hard, if he is moving that well, if he is serving that well and playing that fearless brand of tennis – just constant attack, attack, attack and execution, then it is going to be hard for the others to keep up. He (Sinner) has really taken it to a new level.