Carlos Alcaraz defeated Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in Madrid earlier this season. He took control with his forehand but made a few too many errors. Has his formula for victory changed on his run to the US Open final? We look to the stats from his semifinal win over Frances Tiafoe for some answers.
The world’s top players excel at a skill that the other players do not possess: they know how to come back from behind. Most often, players in the lead tend to win, so this skill is one of the things that separates them from the rest of the pack.
Path dependence is a fancy term used to describe what happens when you choose one road over another. Just think of Robert Frost’s famous lines: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all of the difference.” Often, there is no ability to revert once this choice is made.
A large amount of information, which can pave the way for future improvement, comes from talking with your coach after a match. In cases where your coach cannot be there (this has happened more of late because of COVID and its no spectator restrictions), it is still important to speak with your coach.