“Alcaraz doesn’t have a weak point. I almost think he’s the best player I’ve ever seen on grass, at his best. Let’s face it, he took the best of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and was able to combine it. Without the other great players we would never have gotten to this point. He took the best of everything and, somehow, managed to combine it. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Despite the numbers and the incredible tennis produced on grass throughout his career, Roger Federer is not the best tennis player ever on this surface, according to Pat Cash. The former world number four was impressed by Carlos Alcaraz and, to Sky Sports, he expressed his point of view, as reported in the words above.
Alcaraz has achieved an incredible double at Wimbledon in the last two seasons. In both cases, the Spaniard defeated Djokovic in the final: in the first by sensationally winning in the fifth set; in the second by clearly dominating the match and closing in three.
‘Alcaraz is the best player I’ve ever seen on grass!’ 😯
Do you agree with Pat Cash? 💭 pic.twitter.com/NmeVc14esq
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) October 18, 2024
But, in my opinion, Cash’s statements are ridiculous. The Australian perhaps forgets that no one has won more titles than Roger Federer on the lawns of the All England Club. The Swiss Maestro has won the Wimbledon Championships 8 times, one more than Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras and William Renshaw (7).
Perhaps Cash also forgets something even more fundamental. Yet he shouldn’t, considering that he played tennis in the mid-80s. How can he consider Alcaraz the best on grass he has ever seen, when today’s grass is almost more similar to a slow surface, than fast. Real grass tennis disappeared with the first successes of Roger Federer.
Already when Rafael Nadal defeated the Swiss in the epic 2008 final, the Wimbledon lawns had been significantly slowed down, to ensure longer rallies and greater entertainment. How can you rate a player like Alcaraz (an extraordinary tennis player) as the best you have ever seen on grass without ever having seen the young Spaniard play on what were the real grass-courts, which have now disappeared for at least 16-17 years? It’s okay to have personal opinions, but this is a nonsense.
😳 Just a normal hitting session 😱
👑 Tennis royalty @rogerfederer met with @carlosalcaraz for practive at the @SH_RolexMasters!
Not a bad warm-up partner 🤝 pic.twitter.com/CEzj2NM3tY
— Eurosport (@eurosport) October 17, 2024