The antidote for the deep returner is to serve and volley.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the Miami Open presented by Itau final on Sunday, winning all eleven serve-and-volley points he played. When Alcaraz needed a point on serve, it was his go-to strategy. The Spaniard used it twice in the final game of the match, including on match point.

Serve and volley is an offensive strategy that is an ideal fit for the teen, who is always looking to dictate with court position, power, and direction. Alcaraz initially served and volleyed down 0-3 30/15 in the opening set to help reverse the early tone of the match, when Ruud was being solid and Alcaraz was pressing. It successfully wrestled the early momentum back from the Norwegian and started the process of climbing back into the match.

All eleven serve-and-volley points by Alcaraz were in the Ad court, with 10 of them coming behind a kick serve out wide. The Spaniard was taking advantage of Ruud’s deep return position. To add to Ruud’s problems, he would also move back to let the kicking serve drop, so he might as well have been returning from the stands with little hope of getting it past the fast-charging Alcaraz.

Alcaraz broke Ruud at 5-5 in the opening set and served and volleyed four times at 6-5 to clinch the set, including on a break point. Remarkably, on three of the serve-and-volley points, Ruud did not get the return back in play from his ultra-deep return location. On set point, he returned the ball in play, but it was to gift Alcaraz a sitter overhead from on top of the net.

Serve and volley was not only a perfect strategy for the match, it also served as a metaphor for how each player was employing his game plan. Alcaraz was all about offence, and also employed scintillating defence when it was required. Ruud is more of a neutralising player, who too often sprayed balls in this match when he needed offence. At 5-5 in the opening set, which proved to be the pivotal moment in the match, Ruud missed three offensive forehands while Alcaraz roped a 102 mph forehand winner that set the tone for the break.

Someone was feeling it. Someone wasn’t.

Alcaraz collected more winners overall (27-22) and was more successful at net, winning 16 of 23 net points to Ruud’s 13 of 22. Coming into the final, Alcaraz had been wildly successful hitting drop shots, winning a mind-blowing 51 of 59 points in which he used his drop shot. But this strategy fizzled in the final, as Alcaraz only won three of 10 points with drop shots.

Alcaraz ultimately won this final because his offensive game style wrestled control of the majority of points. Ruud played a solid match, but his offence was lacking when a blow needed to be landed. Alcaraz could be found serving and volleying in the big moments, while Ruud moved backwards to the extremities of the court chasing what he thought was a high-percentage play, but all too often failed to even get the return back in court.

There is something to be said for moving forward when pivotal moments arrive.

Immediately after Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won his first ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Rafael Nadal congratulated his countryman on social media.

“Many congratulations Carlitos @alcarazcarlos03 for your historic triumph in Miami,” Nadal wrote on Twitter. “The first of many to come, for sure! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇪🇸”

Muchas felicidades Carlitos @alcarazcarlos03 por tu triunfo HISTÓRICO en #Miami. El primero de tantos que van a venir, seguro! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇪🇸

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 3, 2022

Nadal also congratulated Casper Ruud on making his first Masters 1000 final, writing “And congrats @CasperRuud98 for an amazing tournament and result. Great swing!!! See you at the @rnadalacademy soon.”

Argentine Diego Schwartzman chimed in with kind words for Alcaraz, tweeting, “What a person, player, team… it is not easy to find a champion that everyone is happy for his victory.”

CARLITOSSSSSSS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 !!! Que persona, jugador, equipo. El tenis de fiesta y feliz por el. No es fácil encontrar un campeón que todos se ponen felices por su victoria. @alcarazcarlos03 @juankiferri 👊👊👊

— diego schwartzman (@dieschwartzman) April 3, 2022

There were others who also sent their praise of the 18-year-old following the biggest victory of his young career, including former World No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

There is only one man right now (maybe not even him) who can beat Alcaraz on red clay! Don’t even try to argue with me on this topic😉

— Kafelnikov Yevgeny (@KYevgeni) April 3, 2022 

amazing effort from escape room Alcaraz @alcarazcarlos03 👊💪😎👍🎾knocking on the door 🚪 of top 10 https://t.co/pvMjFx9kMM

— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) April 3, 2022

Well done, @alcarazcarlos03. It makes us proud that a great madridista like you has won the Masters 1000 Miami in such brilliant fashion, becoming the the first Spaniard and the youngest tennis player in history to do so. Congratulations!

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 3, 2022

It has become one of the novelties of life on the ATP Challenger Tour. More and more former players have made the transition to a different role, stepping into the office as tournament director.

From Top 10 stalwarts Arnaud Clement (Aix-en-Provence) and Andres Gomez (Guayaquil), to the likes of Luis Horna (Lima), Rik De Voest (Vancouver) and Francesco Cancellotti (Perugia), past champions are giving back. Each of these players’ careers were launched on the Challenger circuit. Now, they are returning to their roots.

One year ago, we celebrated Viktor Galovic’s directorial debut in his hometown of Verona, Italy. And now it’s Santiago Giraldo’s turn to take the reins on home soil in Colombia. On Sunday, the former World No. 28 capped an impressive week as the leading man in his hometown of Pereira. The inaugural Circuito Dove Men+Care Pereira was a great success, as players and fans descended on the Club Campestre.

With Giraldo at the helm, it was a party from start to finish in Pereira. Great food and live music created a vibrant, festive atmosphere throughout the week. Fans were treated to world-class entertainment on and off the court. After traveling the tour for nearly two decades, this is exactly how Giraldo envisioned the ideal tournament.

Every detail was meticulously looked after, as the former World No. 28 ensured the players had everything they needed. A welcome letter and small gift greeted each competitor as they arrived at the beautiful Club Campestre, a small example of Giraldo’s attention to detail. Just 30 minutes from downtown Pereira, the club has state-of-the-art facilities and a total of 22 tennis courts.

Giraldo, a mainstay inside the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings for many years, lifted 10 Challenger trophies during his illustrious career. Also a two-time finalist on the ATP Tour (Santiago 2011 & Barcelona 2014), he battled the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the game’s biggest stages. Giraldo’s biggest victory came at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid, where he stunned Andy Murray en route to the 2014 quarter-finals.

After a 16-year career, the Colombian announced his retirement in 2020. But the 34-year-old is not leaving the tennis scene, hosting the Pereira Challenger in addition to his work with the Fundacion Santi Giraldo. According to its mission statement, the foundation seeks to provide diverse activities for children through sport, while building strong values both on and off the court.

Giraldo spoke to ATPTour.com following his first week in his new role…

First of all, Santi, congrats on this new endeavor. How did it come about?
Well, I have to thank Horacio de la Pena [founder of the Circuito Dove Men+Care Legion Sudamericana]. He invited me to be the ambassador and director of the tournament here in Pereira. The truth is that we have worked very well overall and everything is flowing super well. It has been a nice experience for me. After playing and retiring, being able to contribute to tennis with this event in my city and in my club has been a wonderful experience.

Now that the first edition is complete, what are your impressions? How did it go?
It went very well. It rained a little, but the people have been very happy and there has been a very good level of tennis. We are trying to look after many details for the players, little things that they do not usually do in other tournaments. We have also had a cultural and musical aspect of the event and we are focusing a lot on children. We are giving all the facilities to the players, so they are happy, the spectators are happy, the public is happy and the ATP is happy too. Those are all good signs.

Being a former player gives you a unique perspective. How has that helped you in this role?
My perspective is a little different when it comes to organizing a tournament. The idea was to be able to contribute with things that were not done in other tournaments. And already having the experience as a player and having the possibility of implementing different things, for me it was what motivated me. That has been the foundation. And with Jhan Fontalvo, we are building a good team.

You mentioned the importance of making everything perfect for the players, but how have you also improved the fan experience?
For the fans, the main focus is the children. We had the inauguration of the event with a kids day, as well as this social-cultural part with live music and also some gymnastics exhibitions. The idea is to make it fun for everyone. That they feel comfortable, that the schedules are good and there are night matches for all the people who work and for the kids who study. We have tried to think of as many details as possible.

What’s been the biggest challenge to make this happen?
Everything has been very fluid, but the difficulty of having it all organized and ready, getting sponsors and convincing others to invest in the tournament. Many people and organizations joined us and supported us, so I am grateful for this. It’s important to give back after all the blessings tennis has given me.

Now that your playing career is over, how rewarding is it to be able to give back to the Challenger Tour and help it grow as a director?
The Challengers are super important for player development. Many players at these tournaments go on to enter the Top 100 and play in Grand Slams. I have good memories. I played in Pereira three or four times and I was lucky to win two titles here. My 100-year-old grandmother was watching. It was very special for me to play at home.

This week, you celebrated the career of another Colombian great, as Alejandro Gonzalez retired at your tournament. How emotional was that?
I am very grateful to Alejo for his career, for being a brother, a partner, a role model, an example. For having chosen Pereira to play his last match, it was an honour to have accompanied him. I told him to enjoy the experience and I’m happy to contribute to another part of his life.

How can you improve for the years to come?
The idea is that it becomes durable over time. We hope that people want to support the tournament. The idea is that everything is done well and that the people are happy, the details are well-organized and that it is feasible to continue as long as possible.

“Are you getting used to being around these kinds of players?”

“I try to take it in my stride as much as possible, but I’m still amazed to be in the same place as them,” Carlos Alcaraz replied to ATPTour.com’s question before the start of last year’s Miami Open presented by Itau main draw.

It seems like an eternity has passed since that conversation. The Spaniard was 17 years old and No. 132 in the ATP Rankings. His only aspirations were to keep learning from the best.

Although he was clearly on an upwards curve and promising great things, even he would probably have struggled to believe that 12 months later he would be lifting his first ATP Masters 1000 crown on the same stage.

“I have no words to describe how I feel right now,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “I have an unbelievable team with me, family… I’m so happy with the win.”

En route to the Miami title he left players in his wake with whom this time last year he would have been happy just to be able to train. This success can partly be attributed to the fact that his ascent on the Tour has come under the watchful eye of Juan Carlos Ferrero, someone who has already taken the steps required to reach No. 1 in the world and win big titles.

“Juan Carlos tells me a lot of stories,” Alcaraz explained. “The thing I admire most is everything he can teach me. Everything I’m yet to experience, he has already experienced it and he can convey it to me. Now he can stop me [from] making mistakes that maybe he made at my age.”

The heights reached by Ferrero in 2003 are exactly what Alcaraz has his eyes on. He has never tried to hide the fact that it has been one of his biggest goals since he started to enjoy some success with a racquet in his hand.

“My dream is to be the World No. 1 and I will work hard for it. Whether or not I win this tournament, I am still focused on my goal, which is to be No. 1 in the world,” he declared at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan last November.

On Monday, the Murcia native will climb to No. 11 in the world, just 29 points short of the Top 10. He does so thanks to an immaculate start to the season, in which he has racked up 20 matches with an 18-2 record. That is, the 18-year-old Spaniard has won 90 per cent of the matches he has played. He has only lost to Matteo Berrettini in the fifth set of the third round at the Australian Open and Rafael Nadal in the third set of the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals at Indian Wells.

However, a few months ago at the Australian Open, some of the best players in the world predicted that this could be Alcaraz’s year. In fact, one of those players was his idol, Nadal, the man he trained with in 2021 in Melbourne and played against at the Mutua Madrid Open in the same year.

“When you have all that potential and you’re also a hard worker, it’s hard for things to go badly for you. You would expect his chances of fighting for the biggest titles to increase as each tournament goes by,” said the 21-time Grand Slam champion.

“Obviously, Rafa’s words are really wonderful and much appreciated,” Ferrero responded at the time. “I really agree with what he said. The potential he has.” Meanwhile, Pablo Carreño Busta, his training partner at the JC Ferrero – Equelite Sport Academy, also sent out a warning: “He’s producing some really great results, but they will get even better.”

Time – although we didn’t have to wait long – has proven all three of them right. However, the astonishing thing about Alcaraz’s rise is not so much his results or his talent, it is his ability to normalise the extraordinary, a trait of a special player. At just 18, he shows a maturity, determination and courage on court that are extremely rare for a player of his age.

Even Ferrero has spoken of this. “His dynamism on court is his biggest asset. He is capable of doing what is asked of him and that’s very difficult to get from a player: serve-volley, play high or fast balls, he can do it all,” he explained. “That courage and ability to finish off a point is something I would have liked to have had in my career.”

Alcaraz’s progress on court has come hand in hand with physical development that has made him a complete player: fast, agile and hugely powerful. “We remind him that every day is a brick that he has to lay as carefully as possible, so that the wall he is building is perfect and there are no bricks that were laid badly in his day-to-day work,” said his physio Juanjo Moreno.

Moreno is one of the visible faces of the Spaniard’s work in the gym, but there are many others behind his success, such as Alberto Lledó, his fitness coach; Sergio Hernández, physio; Juanjo López, doctor; and the care he receives in Murcia from Alejandro for preparation and Fran in recovery.

“We focus more on recovery, on taking care of all the details that make up a professional tennis player,” added Moreno. “From the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed, we try to educate Carlos in all the processes of recovery, as he already had good knowledge from working with Néstor Vicente Salar.”

All of these ingredients mean that the player himself is not the only one who believes he will be No. 1 in the world. Many people in the world of tennis, including his peers, opponents, coaches and fans, predict that, sooner or later, Alcaraz will make a charge on the pinnacle of the ATP Rankings.

“I’m grateful that people can see that I can be the best in the world, but my team and I know how difficult it is,” Alcaraz admitted on 20 February, after becoming the youngest player to win an ATP 500 (created in 2009) at the Rio Open presented by Claro. “I think I’m on the right path. If I stay on it and continue to do things right, I’ll have chances, although that doesn’t guarantee anything.”

What was a sure thing though, was his first ATP Masters 1000 crown on Sunday. We still don’t know if his dream of being the No. 1 in the world will come true, but we do know that he is now ready to take on the biggest titles, as he proved in Miami.

Did You Know?
At this edition of the Miami Open presented by Itaú, Carlos Alcaraz became the first Spanish champion in the tournament’s history. Sergi Bruguera (1997), Carlos Moyà (2003), David Ferrer (2013) and Rafael Nadal (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017) were all finalists before the man from Murcia made the breakthrough.

The 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is one set away from claiming the biggest ATP Tour title of his career at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Spaniard leads sixth seed Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final at Hard Rock Stadium after taking a 7-5 opening set in just under an hour.

Just as in his semi-final win over Miomir Kecmanovic, Alcaraz dropped the opening three games of the set as he found his footing on the stadium court. Ruud started well, but was helped along by five early errors from Alcaraz as he eased in front.

But after getting to at least 40/30 in his opening three return games, Alcaraz got the break back on his third break chance of the match. From 1-4 down, he won six of seven games to wrestle away the opening stanza — a ripped 102-mph forehand winner bringing up his break chances at 5-5.

The Spaniard applied consistent pressure on the Ruud serve, frequently putting his opponent on the back foot with deep returns. Without blowing away the sixth seed on serve, Alcaraz held comfortably until he was forced to save a break point while serving out the set. A big serve erased the chance as the youngster powered to a one-set lead.

Alcaraz is seeking to becoming the youngest Miami champion in the event’s 37-year history, and the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion overall, spanning 283 events from 1990.

Ruud, competing in his 10th ATP Tour final, is seeking the second hard-court trophy of his career. The first Norwegian to contest a Masters 1000 final, he holds a 7-2 record in his previous finals while Alcaraz is a perfect 2-0.

Carlos Alcaraz received a special surprise — his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero — in Miami ahead of his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

Ferrero had not been at the Miami Open presented by Itau because his father, Eduardo, passed away before the tournament. But a video the former World No. 1 posted on Instagram Sunday morning revealed he flew to Florida for the final.

Alcaraz, who at 18 can break Novak Djokovic’s record as the youngest champion in tournament history on Sunday against Casper Ruud, has paid tribute to his coach during his run. After winning a quarter-final classic against Miomir Kecmanovic he wrote on the camera “Juanki y Eduardo”, drawing a heart underneath their names. Following his semi-final victory against Hubert Hurkacz, the teen again inscribed the camera’s lens with a message for his coach.

‘This win’s for you, @juankiferri‘ ❤️@alcarazcarlos03 #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/nXF7TakRha

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 2, 2022

In the video Ferrero posted on Sunday, Alcaraz leapt off the couch he was sitting on when he saw his coach and gave him a warm embrace. 

Ferrero captioned the video: “TEAM READY? ✅ ALL SET FOR THE FINAL 💪🏼”

With Polish flags waving all around Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek each won titles at the Miami Open presented by Itau. Hurkacz teamed with John Isner to claim the men’s doubles crown, while Swiatek extended her WTA Tour winning streak to 17 by beating Naomi Osaka in the women’s singles final.

Swiatek, who will debut as World No. 1 on Monday, opened the day’s play by securing her third straight title at the WTA 1000 level, dominating Osaka by a score of 6-4, 6-0. By winning the Miami trophy without dropping a set, the 20-year-old from Warsaw extended her set win streak to 20, dating back to Indian Wells.

Hurkacz, last year’s Miami men’s singles champion, fell to Carlos Alcaraz in Friday’s semi-finals but will not leave South Florida empty-handed thanks to his performance on Saturday. He and Isner took a 7-6(5), 6-4 decision to knock off the red-hot tandem of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, who were seeking a fourth ATP Tour title of the season.

The Wroclaw native previously called Swiatek a “huge inspiration” following her Roland Garros win in autumn 2020. 

“What she did at the French Open was unbelievable and a huge inspiration,” he said after reaching the Delray final last January. “It’s amazing what she has done, winning a Grand Slam not being seeded and playing the way she played. So that’s really inspiring for all of Poland what she did achieve.”

Last October, the compatriots sat down together for an episode of the WTA’s CrossCourt, where they discussed the importance of discipline and preparation on the tour.