Legendary coach makes two Carlos Alcaraz Grand Slam predictions as he issues Jannik Sinner claim
Esteemed coach Rick Macci has declared that Carlos Alcaraz will win a Grand Slam title this season and “go to another level”, claiming the “main reason” for this is Jannik Sinner.
The American also described Alcaraz as “a unique generational talent and proven winner” and backed the Spaniard to go on to reach double digits in Grand Slam titles.
Alcaraz has achieved remarkable success in his career to date, having won two Grand Slam titles and also becoming the youngest player to be ranked ATP world No 1 after winning the 2022 US Open.
The 20-year-old Spaniard has endured a more challenging period since his stunning triumph at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in July – which was the last title he won. The world No 2 reached his only final since his All England Club victory at the Cincinnati Masters in August.
Alcaraz’s 22-year-old Italian rival — world No 4 Jannik Sinner — secured his maiden Grand Slam title with his victory at the 2024 Australian Open last month.
In a series of posts on X / Twitter, Macci argued that Sinner’s success will inspire Alcaraz to add to his major tally this season and predicted the Spaniard will win 10 or more Grand Slams in his career.
“Carlos Alcaraz will go to another level in 2024 and be a Grand Slam winner and the main reason is a guy named Sinner,” the 69-year-old wrote.
“A career is not just how you start it is where you finish. Carlos Alcaraz is a unique generational talent and a proven winner and he will be a double digit Grand Slam winner.”
The renowned coach also analysed Alcaraz’s serve — an area of his game that has been identified as a weakness and placed under the microscope of late.
Asked about the First Serve of @carlosalcaraz as others have been critical. Biomechanically he checks most boxes. But the racquet Leaks 25% too soon into the back. Shoulder set up is microscopically off creating less natural fluidity and not delivering the optimal head speed.
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) February 7, 2024
“Asked about the first serve of Carlos Alcaraz as others have been critical. Biomechanically he checks most boxes,” Macci explained.
“But the racquet leaks 25% too soon into the back. Shoulder set up is microscopically off creating less natural fluidity and not delivering the optimal head speed.”
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick, a player Macci coached, recently broke down Alcaraz’s serve and claimed it was “the most obvious place to improve” in his game.
READ MORE: Andy Roddick weighs in on Carlos Alcaraz coach criticism after highlighting his weakness
“I think his serve leaves a lot to be desired. That is the one thing that I don’t think has really improved much at all in the last two years,” the former world No 1 said on his Served podcast.
“I remember watching him, kinda his breakout – we knew about him – but winning Miami a couple of years ago and he was serving 135, and now I feel like he’s serving 127.
“There’s not a lot of motion to it, right? There are big servers, who serve straight through the court. And so, they’re are the type of servers that serve 136, but if you get a racket on it, you can square it up a little bit.”
Macci has worked with five players who achieved the world No 1 ranking in their careers: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick. The 69-year-old also coached WTA Major champions Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin.
