Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will meet for the first time this year later today, as they clash for the Monte Carlo Masters title.
It marks the latest prestigious notch in their ever-growing rivalry, with every new match seemingly more crucial than the last.
On this occasion though, there is everything on the line, similar to their US Open final meeting last year.
After all, not only will the winner take home this trophy, but they will also finish the week as the world number one.
With so much at stake, Carlos Alcaraz is seemingly leaving nothing to chance.
Carlos Alcaraz spotted working on his serve ahead of Monte Carlo final
The Spaniard has been spotted practising straight after his semi-final win over Valentin Vacherot, as if to emphasise his determination to win today.
And, whilst Alcaraz explained why he was practising ahead of the final and so soon after his latest match, he did not actually reveal what it was he was focusing on.
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Fortunately, ESPN Brazil reporter Renato Senise was able to share that information, having been present whilst the 22-year-old honed his skills.
He revealed: “Carlos Alcaraz spent about 25 minutes serving non-stop. Afterwards, he still spent a good while chatting with the coach and team before finally leaving the court.”
This is no surprise, given that, against a player of Jannik Sinner’s quality, ensuring his serve is perfect is of paramount importance.
Carlos Alcaraz’s changes to his serve
In his constant pursuit of perfection, particularly on the serve, Alcaraz has been unafraid to regularly make changes.
Even after last year’s US Open, where he put in arguably one of the best serving performances in the tournament’s history, he was not satisfied.
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He came to this year’s Australian Open with a brand-new service motion, and again that tweak proved pivotal as he completed the career Grand Slam.
Although yesterday’s practice will not have been wrought with huge alterations, Alcaraz’s adaptability is truly astounding. The more repetitions he gets in on these strokes, the more complete he will become.
It’s a truly frightening thought for the rest of the ATP Tour, and it will be interesting to see how this practice impacts his performance in the Monte Carlo Masters final later today.
