Australian Open 2025 results: Carlos Alcaraz reaps rewards of new-look serve in Melbourne
It’s safe to say that there aren’t many downsides to a player aiming to become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.
However, if there’s one area where Carlos Alcaraz is weaker than the rest, it’s his serve.
The 21-year-old Spaniard and his team, under head coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, hope to achieve this goal before the start of the new season.
So far at the Australian Open, Alcaraz has benefited from a strengthened serve.
Alcaraz hit 14 aces in the second round on Wednesday to defeat Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.
He then left a cheeky message in front of court cameras, writing: “Am I a serving robot?”
Alcaraz is kidding, of course – he will never be John Isner, the 6-foot-10 former world No. 8 who became the prototype for the “Serving Robot.”
Nor will he join Reilly Opelka, another American who blasted 78 aces in his first two games.
Alcaraz hit 20 aces in total – tied for 20th in the men’s draw – but his sarcastic message suggested he was pleased with how his serve was going.
In a lopsided victory over Nishioka, the world No. 3 won 89 percent of her points on her first serve (with the help of those points) and 71 percent of her points on her second serve.
It was a huge improvement from his first game and the result of a dedicated serving session on Tuesday.
“I felt really good on my serve today,” said Alcaraz, who is trying to surpass Rafael Nadal and become the youngest player in the Open era to win all four majors.
“I talked to Juan Carlos about what I had to do today with my serve, what I did wrong and what I did well in the first game.
“I feel more comfortable. I think serving is about confidence and feel.”
