Carlos Alcaraz prepared to adjust game to contend on grass

Carlos Alcaraz makes his debut at the Queen’s Club Championships this week, and knows he has a lot of adjustments to make to his game if he is to be a contender at the grass-court event and at Wimbledon next month.

Alcaraz is coming off a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 semifinal defeat to Novak Djokovic at the French Open, during which he suffered severe cramps.

Alcaraz, 20, will be playing in only the third grass-court tournament of his career at the tour level this week, and said his practice on the surface has been limited.

“I arrived in London Saturday morning and I had my first practice on grass,” he said. “I wasn’t able to practice too much at home, as we have no grass courts.

“I need to adapt my movement and shots on the grass, but I’m really happy with the practice I have had here.”

Alcaraz, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year before winning the U.S. Open on the hard courts of New York, said how well he moves on grass will be key.

“You need to be more careful than other surfaces,” said Alcaraz, who plays Arthur Fils on Tuesday. “The most comfortable is going to the net and playing aggressively all the time. For me it’s similar to other surfaces with my style.

“There are a lot of players who slice on grass. I’m not one of them, so I have to think about movement. I have to be focused on every movement and shot.

“For me it’s more tiring when you’re moving on grass. It’s totally different, so you have to be really specific.”