QUICK SERVED: ALCARAZ vs DJOKOVIC FINALS REACTION

Andy jumps on the pod to give us his immediate reactions to the 2024 Wimbledon Men's Final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic where Alcaraz won handedly in 3 straight sets. At the end of the show, Andy asks for your prediction: Who is going to win more majors: Carlos Alcaraz or Iga Swiatek? Give us your answers in the comments!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey, everyone, welcome to Quick Serve brought to you by Oslo Sleep Buds In studio seven minutes after this match has finished and kind of like our post-Roland Garros breakdown. It's just me kind of going through my running stream of thought that I have written down on my notes that I was taking during the match. I said yesterday on our on our preview show, two things that I got right was that if Carlos served somewhere around 60 percent first serves that I liked his chances in this match Almost on the button served 59 percent. His chances in this match Almost on the button served 59%. The bigger stat first serve points won against someone who is probably the best returner ever. When you win 84% of those, you're going to do yourselves a lot of favors and anything over 50% defending a second serve against Novak who, uh, is the master at putting a second serve on your shoe tops. Uh, carlos was above 50 percent. Uh, there as well. Um, I mentioned yesterday and I think JW was a little bit uh surprised by it. I said I think Novak is going to serve and volley a little bit more often. Um, so I wasn't surprised by that. I actually like the tactic. Carlos was just on first serve returns from the first game, picked off a couple clean winners. What I was a little bit surprised about with with Novak and you don't know, if he just listen he's smarter than I will ever be in this game. So you're not questioning it. You're just wondering what the factors are with the decision to play a certain way.

Speaker 1: 1:46

Novak, for his entire career, has been the master of kind of extending points playing within himself, forcing you to attack from tough positions, volley whether it was going line very early in these rallies, not sticking Carlos in that back into back end rally. It seemed like Novak was in a hurry to get out of that. I don't fully understand that. Maybe his read on the first couple of points getting bullied, obviously the knee issue. He must know something that we don't. If he kind of went to that early, I was surprised how quickly he went to kind of that all-out aggressive play. You know, I didn't mind the coming in, I didn't mind the approaching line, but kind of taking random shots line very, very early in rallies in a very aggressive nature. Not one to just not to like switch the direction of the rally. But I'm surprised you just didn't put more volume on Carlos' back end, but one to just not to like switch the direction of the rally. But I'm surprised you just didn't put more volume on on Carlos's back end.

Speaker 1: 2:48

But credit to Carlos because you know, like we also said, novak's knee hadn't dealt with the pace and the switch of direction and the ability to fire lines and take second serves early. Right, when, if, if Carlos steps inside the court and is taking those second serves early and putting pressure on those quick movements are the ones that are harder, right, I think, in flow, hitting balls. I think Novak has proven over the course of this tournament that the knee is okay with that. Another thing that I have written here is there's a difference between a knee being healthy right, I think it's as healthy as it can possibly be, considering he had surgery five weeks ago. But something that we have talked about and I had mentioned, you know, even going into the tournament, is there's a difference between being healthy but you also have to build up reps. It doesn't matter how great you are at anything that you do. You know you can have the best guitarist on earth and if they don't play guitar for five weeks, they're not going to be as good as if they're in the middle of a world tour and they're doing it every night and getting the timing, getting the rhythm, getting the placement. So I think Novak has been good enough and it's just a testament to his greatness to get through to this final.

Speaker 1: 4:05

You know, the knee was fine, the movement looked good, but to be rushed. He didn't have any time to train physically before this tournament. So now all of a sudden, carlos is playing against his movement. Pace of shot is bigger than it's been. He can hit a drop shot in any direction. So if you're Novak, you're simultaneously having to cover deep to both corners and front ways, with the drop shot on every shot right and with the quickness it's not predictable. Carlos can hit every shot in the book. He doesn't always make them, but he can hit. You have to have your movement, respect the threat of every direction on every shot. That is a different mental hurdle If you haven't had the time to build yourself physically. Not that your knee is healthy, but you have to have reps and when you get to the highest level those things tend to expose themselves a little quicker. He hadn't played anyone at this level for this tournament yet, mike.

Speaker 2: 5:04

How do you train physically in that time period? Right, because it is so quickly after Roland Garros Just to get to Wimbledon. It's a completely different service. But in that time between I mean, he had his surgery 39 days ago at this point In that time period, healthy or not, what are you doing to train? You're saying what are you doing to train physically?

Speaker 1: 5:22

Can you explain Healthy or not is a big difference. I don't know that I can loop those into the same thing.

Speaker 2: 5:29

I just mean, like in a perfect world, what are you training for physically to get ready for all of that stuff?

Speaker 1: 5:33

So all those practice sets of little movements, all those quick movements where you hit a serve and someone slaps a return, in those kind of quick change of directions, especially with grass, you have to get the movement down a little bit. You know his entire focus had to be just getting healthy right, like let's, let's, let's worry about the fitness later, like we can't, that's going to be imperfect. So you almost, it's almost, it was probably, you know, a little bit easier with clarity, because he just knew he had to get the knee right to give himself a chance to get into this tournament. And, hell man, like the guy made the final. The guy made the final on on no prep. Like he showed up the month, he showed up the Monday before and was like let's wing it. And you know it wasn't right. The first couple of rounds, like, but like made a final. Now are we going to say like he well, you know, you know he's slow. Like he's not slow, he's 37. He's slower than he was five years ago, but the guy's one of the best movers of all time.

Speaker 1: 6:32

His ball striking was great, his serve was average. He didn't volley well at all, right, but there's, there's a couple of things there also, like I, I, I, I kind of read comments and it's like, also, like I kind of read comments and it's like knee's bad, knee's good, okay, knee can be healthy, not injured. And also because of the knee injury, you're not as physically dialed as we've come to expect you to be. By no fault of your own, nothing could be done. You can't go out on a knee that just had surgery and has, you know, all types of scar tissue buildup and go beat it into the ground and test it too early. That's not an option, right? The other thing is people are like, oh well, novak's volleys are horrible, okay, time out, let's just stop. Nothing he does on a tennis court is horrible because he lost to another younger player who is going to also be one of the all-time greats. Doesn't mean like, we can't deal in absolutes. Now did he volley well? No, does he want four of those back? Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 7:34

But one thing always bleeds into the other, right? We're talking about that aggressive mentality where he was forcing the issue early in points, right, didn't want to get into these extended rallies with Carlos, for whatever reason. Maybe he just didn't feel like his movement and his quick fire muscle memory was up to it? I don't know. I don't think it was. You know there's a good reason why he's making that decision. We just don't know what it is.

Speaker 1: 7:59

Also, if you're forcing your way into net whether it be serve and volley, whether it be approaches from maybe imperfect position, you're going to get tougher volleys right. If you hit great approaches from great positions, you tend to look like a better volleyer because everything's up above your waist, right. One thing bleeds into the other. If you're forcing it from bad positions and getting forward too quickly, a lot of your volleyers will be tougher and below the net. There is no such thing as an easy volley from below the net against someone who is as fast as Carlos Alcaraz. So people go oh my gosh, he's missing those little drop shots. They're below his net. He's hitting up to the fastest person on the planet. Not to say he shouldn't pull it off, not to say that he hasn't pulled it off, just saying there's an extra layer with everything you do when you are playing the greats, even if you are a great. What do they always do? I say they make you up your risk profile.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Novak had to do that today. Maybe he had to make concessions for his knee fitness, whatever it may be. Point is he had to do it. That manifested itself and it can either go great you hang in or it can get away from you quickly. It got away from him quickly. It's happened to everybody. He's done it to other players for 20 years. Right, I'm going to lock you down. You're going to have to make decisions that are borderline irresponsible. It got turned today and you know, knowing that there's a, there's a volley and let's say you're on the service line and you have to stick at 15% harder than you would against most people, otherwise you're going to get passed will manifest itself in more errors at scale. You might be able to get away with it. You might be able to shorten the points. Maybe it's still a better option than staying back.

Speaker 1: 9:41

It's easy to say he came forward too often. Well, we don't know what the other way would have been. He obviously felt something that we couldn't feel. Not being there Doesn't mean it's the wrong strategy. There just might not have been a right answer today. Simply, maybe it was the less shitty answer. Maybe it was the less shitty strategy.

Speaker 1: 9:57

But you have to have reps. You have to be able to play tennis going in. It gets exposed when you level up. You know respect to everyone that he played so far in this tournament Novak, or didn't play, missed a quarterfinal match. Alcaraz has the ability to cause you to react way more often. It's not in your control as often as it is against other players. No disrespect for those other players. Alcaraz is just different gravy. You have to respect him coming in. You have to respect his movement. From six feet behind the court. He can knock your head off or hit a little soft drop shot. You know, and you have to look for both of those in the same quarter of a second rep. Over and over and over again. All right, you chuckers.

Speaker 1: 10:46

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Speaker 1: 11:55

I thought Alcaraz returned beautifully today. First serve returns were phenomenal. Hitting clean winners or getting into a position of control of the rally against Novak off of his first serve is unheard of of. You know kind of control of the rally against Novak off of his first serve is unheard of, it's just unheard of. But he has the ability to take the racket uh, out of your hand, uh.

Speaker 1: 12:18

Another thing that won't get talked about ever nobody will mention it is Carlos didn't have a great chip for him. Like you can always tell, when someone chips a forehand return, that means they were looking back in. It's like a like when a hitter's looking fastball and then all of a sudden pokes a single through the other side off of a changeup. That is brilliance, right, that's. That's. That's not looking forward and still finding a way. Carlos hitting, hit some clutch chip forehands where he was obviously looking back in on the return side, but then got himself to neutral off of a quick reaction. I don't know that he had that shot, um, as as often and as good three years ago.

Speaker 1: 12:54

Those are the types of things that are just massive. All of a sudden you bail yourself out with that chip forehand return when you're looking the wrong way. Three or four times in a set you win two of those. If any one of those is at 30, all at 1530, that's massive. That gives you a look at the basket. That's like you know, having two more breakaway layups per quarter. Like I'm not real good at math, but that that's you know. If you started a game plus six or plus eight based on adjustment, that's good, right, um what does that do to you mentally when you're playing somebody like that?

Speaker 1: 13:27

Yeah, I mean, I lived through it a million times because Roger was probably the best chip returner that we've ever, and probably the best Like you didn't read the serve, but also you still found a way to get yourself in play him and Murray. It's the pacing of the serve you hit and you beat the person and then you're still at neutral. The compounding effect of that pressure, where they didn't hit it clean but you're still at neutral, sucks. It's hard Like in no one else. 99% of the people watching don't know that. You just beat him on that little micro exchange, of which there are thousands during a tennis match but yet you still have a backhand that you don't like, hitting up to the person from a neutral position, even though you kind of won that mini battle. So, carlos, doing that and especially being able to cover the court that Nova like normally you chip down to that forehand.

Speaker 1: 14:23

Most other players against Novak. Novak's going okay, I can just distribute this and be patient. Like I can run you this way I can hit it behind you. Carlos has the speed to make up ground quickly to where, even on the next ball, if Novak doesn't hit it well, he can get a massive swing on it Right, like, and so no, all of a sudden, novak has to up the aggression 5%, 10% on each ball. He's been brilliant at it his entire career, but these are the ins and outs of when you're playing against someone else who is also great and capable of of of these of these crazy things Um Carlos has served today might've been the best match that I think he's ever served.

Speaker 1: 15:00

I'd like that he didn't do the little spin your first serving thing that he does Sometimes. He came out and he was trying to. He had a, he had a strikeout mentality today. Right, he was trying to win points on his first server and he did do an 84% clip, um, it's a part of his game that I thought he could. I was, you know. Uh, one of our first shows, the first time I got in trouble, was saying I think he can improve a serve. I don't think it's elite, um, I don't know if it is elite yet, but I'll tell you this.

Speaker 1: 15:24

They made a little adjustment on if you can see the bottom of the serve if you go back and check. You know, late last year there was he would take the racket straight down and then it would come up almost like in a V. But it was very linear, like straight up, bottom of the point, almost able to look like, uh, you know the bottom of the V kind of pointy, and then straight down. That shoulder was too narrow on the front side and this is probably getting too nerdy. But with the rounded out bottom all of a sudden that shoulder comes back a little bit. The spin he's able to create on the ad side it's going away. Now right like so he hits a first serve. By the time it gets to novak it's still moving left that little bit. That changes everything. You're not firming up the return. All of a sudden it's like more of a glancing blow. That's going to get better. It's going to get better.

Speaker 1: 16:14

He was serving 133 pretty like at will today. It hasn't always been the case Like. This was the best serving match I think I've ever seen it from. Uh, tactically he threw in a one 17 on a second serve. I didn't know he had that, I didn't know he had that register on the on the second serve Didn't feel irresponsible either.

Speaker 1: 16:32

And then he has a little 84 mile an hour bunny kick and kept Novak off off pace the entire day there. I mean Novak shouldn't have broken in this match. Right, carlos gets a little tight and that's a whole nother conversation. You get a little tight, five, four serving Wimbledon, 40 love and you lose the game and you keep your shit together and you play a great breaker against the guy who's probably the best tiebreaker player ever props man, this was. This was.

Speaker 1: 16:58

You know novak's had those finals you know I remember in he. He's run through australian open finals before where, just like he that was a different level. This was. Carlos has won a bunch of finals. This was dominant. This was his first dominant grand slam final where it's like, oh, this is you, you separated from someone else who's also great for two hours today. Um, I don't know, like there was a lot of conversation and this is just getting really fun because you know I.

Speaker 1: 17:27

The other thing is we can't be victims of the moment right, like I remember, after Indian Wells or after what you know. The other thing is we can't be victims of the moment right, like I remember, after Indian Wells or after what you know, novak has it in there. Is he as good every single day as he always has been? No, no, can you still get through a Wimbledon Like? Think about like getting through a Wimbledon final like on a knee that you had surgery on three weeks ago.

Speaker 1: 17:52

Don't treat this match like any kind or this tournament like any sort of disappointment. No form coming in, average fitness throughout the year, lots of stops and starts, not a lot of reps. Wimbledon final you lose to a guy that's otherworldly and dominant. It's pretty fun. I mean, in March there were as many people saying Sinner's going to have more slims than Alcaraz's the other way around. You know, dollar in hand, we got four. Think about this Just turned 21. Just turned 21 in the same tournament that the great Andy Murrayray retires, one of the best tennis players of all time. Alcarez has more majors than andy murray at 21 and he has any, and he has like four or five years and you guys can find the stat, but somewhere around there the point's the same. He has like four or five years to complete uh, to be the youngest to complete the career grand slam in australia. He has like four more australian opens where, if he wins that, he's the youngest to wait, say that again to be the youngest to do it.

Speaker 1: 18:57

He still has four yeah, so of all the people who have and you guys are gonna roast me but all of all the people who have completed the uh career grand slam. So you're looking at laver andre, uh, big three, right of all of the, of those five that have completed it, rafa is the youngest, uh, I think I mean 24 years 102 days yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:20

So alcaraz still has three or four chances in australia to be the youngest uh to ever complete the career grand slam, and rafa won his first grand slam at 17 years old. So like, we're watching it's, it's, it's special and he does it like how lucky are we that in the vacuum of the big three, that not only we have this great player who is box office and sinner, who they kind of operate a different way, but he's insanely fun to watch and he emotes and he's happy and he's respectful and he's a steward of the game and it seems like he doesn't really have bad days with media or opponents or I don't remember him getting chippy with an opponent. I can't say that I was. I was the worst, the worst. I had to do it because I had to like, if I felt like I had to do that to try to win, he doesn't need to do that stuff. He's like almost above it, just impressive.

Speaker 1: 20:20

But take nothing away from Novak Djokovic Giving yourself a look at the basket, 10 Wimbledon finals in line for your 25 slam and you'd come up against someone who was just better on the day. Force your decisions, force your movement, forced everything to be a stress test. Uh, carlos is a legend already, you know. Now he's, I mean, he's squarely in his sights. You know, edberg, icons of our game. Six slams becker right there, connor's agassi, eight, like I don't know. You're not going to find a lot of people betting against him, passing those, those massive names.

Speaker 2: 21:00

We got another one yeah, I'm interested for you to talk another one talk to war time about this in our recap show yeah on t2 tomorrow night yeah, we're going to get in, we're going to finish this up.

Speaker 1: 21:11

We'll wrap this. This has been quick served, presented by Oslo Sleep Buds. But just respect, respect on Novak's side. It's a pleasure, it's been a pleasure to watch the way that he goes about it. I thought he was very classy in his post-match remarks today, and Carlos Alcaraz is already a legend and is going to continue marching that way. You know the fun one's going to be like. Okay, we'll give you, we'll give you guys a little question that you can respond in the comments to this. Who ends up with more slams, alcaraz or Sviantek? Wow, all right, I'm asking not because I know anything or because I have a strong preference, but it'll be fun to talk about.

Speaker 2: 21:48

We'll put that poll up.

Speaker 1: 21:50

Two new legends, like it's just fun in real time, and we always like to kind of wait until the end and then look back fondly. Let's have eyes wide open for these two. This has been Quick Served, brought to you by Oslo Seatbuds. We'll see you on the recap show. We're going to go into studio. We're going to