Carlos Alcaraz has been handed some candid advice on the area he needs to improve on after he surrendered the world No 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner by losing the Monte Carlo Masters final.
Alcaraz was beaten 7-6(5), 6-4 by an impressive Sinner, who dealt with challenging windy conditions in Monte Carlo to add another APT Masters 1000 title to his collection, as he won his fourth successive tournament at this level.
The latest win against Alcaraz was enough for Sinner to reclaim the world No 1 ranking, with Rusedski suggesting there are two clear areas the Spaniard can improve upon as he looks to bounce back in his compelling battle with the Italian.
Alcaraz still holds a 10-7 winning record in his battles against Sinner, but it is the new top ranked player who has all the moments on his side after he won the Indian Wells and Miami Open ‘Sunshine Double’ last month, before backing it up with a big win on clay.
Rusedksi, who has just started coaching rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, believes Alcaraz needs to work on his backhand after Sinner took advantage to lift the Monte Carlo title for the first time.
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“Carlos was struggling on the backhand wing and if you have a side that’s slightly weake, Sinner’s gonna take advantage,” said Rusedski, on the latest episode of his podcast that will be released on Monday.
“He’s got to get that focus a little bit better, get the backhand firing a little bit more. And also he just doesn’t seem quite as sharp at the moment that he has been at the beginning of year.
“There was such a focus because the split with (former coach) Juan Carlos Ferrero and he went on a tear. I think 16 matches in a row and then he’s had a little bit of dip since there and hasn’t been the same player.
“I was in Monte Carlo last week and Sinner turned to practice on the Thursday before the event, but Carlos only arrived on that Saturday. You could say Jannik’s preparation was a little better than Alcaraz’s.
“Does he need more time off? Does he need to play more? That’s where he’s got to find the balance for himself with his team.”
Alcaraz picked up an injury when he played the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open in back-to-back weeks last year, but he has opted to repeat that schedule this season.
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Rusedski believes the huge appearance fee he will be receiving to play in Barcelona will ensure he plays, as he suggests the lure of appearing in front of his home fans will also be hard to resist.
“He will want to play in Spain,” he added. “I’m sure he’s got a massive guarantee to play in Barcelona as well. He’s the premier name there and not only in Spain, but globally. So this is where he’s got to find that sort of hunger.
“Sometimes people like to play matches more than they like to practice and this is where the physio works over time. This is where the coach balances the practices out. He’s not far away.
“The problem with Sinner and Alcácer is when they lose a match, we all go, my God, what’s happening? What’s the next thing going to go on?
“For me, the concerning part was in Miami when he’s complaining about being there, getting a little bit sick of tennis and all those comments he had on the sidelines.
“So he’s got to find that freshness and that hunger because it looks like sinners like Novak Djokovic 2.0 right now. It’s just, you never get a drop in level with Jannick. I mean, he has just been phenomenal the last few weeks.”
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