Who has the higher hand on onerous courts in 2022?
An Infosys ATP Past The Numbers evaluation of onerous court docket tournaments main into the US Open identifies Carlos Alcaraz as the height performer, profitable a tour-leading 54.12 per cent of factors performed on the floor. The info set contains gamers who’ve competed in a minimal of 5 hard-court matches thus far this yr.
The main 5 gamers within the class are:
2022 Onerous Courts Share Factors Gained
1. Carlos Alcaraz = 54.12% (1583/2925)
2. Daniil Medvedev = 54.04% (2685/4969)
3. Rafael Nadal = 53.85% (2042/3792)
4. Novak Djokovic = 53.40% (204/382)
5. Alexander Zverev = 53.36% (1301/2438)
Alcaraz is 14-4 on onerous courts in 2022, together with profitable his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami. Alcaraz impressively defeated three Prime 10 gamers (No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 8 Casper Ruud, No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz) to take the title whereas solely dropping one set for all the event (to Miomir Kecmanovic)
That Masters 1000 victory got here on the heels of reaching the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, the place he prolonged Rafael Nadal to a few units within the semi-finals. While you mixture Alcaraz’s knowledge from each of those occasions, you clearly see that his aggressive sport model is what creates his aggressive benefit.
2022 Indian Wells & Miami Mixed (11 matches)
Rally Winners
• Alcaraz = 265
• Opponents = 121
This jaw-dropping stat reveals how the Spanish teenager can take the racquet out of his opponent’s palms and dictate the stream of play from the again of the court docket. Alcaraz hit greater than double (265-121) the variety of winners than his opponents. The 5 most lopsided totals had been:
• Alcaraz 21/Bautista Agut 1
• Alcaraz 18/Monfils 5
• Alcaraz 41/Kecmanovic 18
• Alcaraz 26/Tsitsipas 12
• Alcaraz 36/Nadal 18
What additionally stops you in your tracks is that Alcaraz additionally dedicated fewer rally unforced errors than his opponents.
Rally Unforced Errors
• Alcaraz = 218
• Opponents = 234
Alcaraz was all the time seeking to strike extra forehands over backhands from the again of the court docket.
Rally Forehands/Backhands — Alcaraz
• Forehands 58% (1391)
• Backhands 42% (1009)
Alcaraz’s explosive hard-court prowess will subsequent be on present on the US Open. The Spaniard has lately surged to a career-high of No. 4 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and has an opportunity to take the No. 1 spot. If he does take over as No. 1, then he would be the youngest No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings historical past.
