Like every former champion, he feels welcome wherever he goes. “They’re looking more at past champions and (…) we’re more than welcome to come anytime we want, and that’s very much appreciated,” Edberg told a small group of reporters Saturday, including tennis majors, as he discussed Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, the serve volley and the speed of the Paris courts.
Edberg on Alcaraz the showman
Stefan, what do you think of Carlos Alcaraz after his return? He looks very impressive.
Well, he’s a very impressive player to start with and obviously he’s come back great because he’s been out for quite a while and it’s never easy when you’re out. And thank God he came back. He’s a very important player for the game of tennis because the way he is as a person, he loves tennis, he loves being on the court, he’s a bit of a showman. He’s got all kinds of plays, from power to touch, and so it’s good to have him back in good shape.
Are you surprised to see him put on a show like this so soon after his comeback?
He’s one of a kind, so yes, you do have expectations, but it’s fantastic to see what he’s done and what he’s doing now. I hope he can keep it all together because being on the court is tough and you want to stay injury free as much as possible. And I think he’s still young, he’s going to be around for a long time.
Edberg on the serve-and-volley return
Carlos plays service volley, which you know very well. At some point we heard that the maintenance was over, and now it’s not just coming back to Carlos’ game. How do you see it?
I think tennis goes in cycles and I think you train differently now. Tennis is played from the back of the court, and serve-volley is a game that takes longer to develop. It really does. You have to start quite early and I think players don’t train as much as they should because you have to play games from a young age (…) so it’s at least in your core because it’s not easy to start when you’re 20, 21. It doesn’t come naturally, but it’s an advantage if you can have variety in your game. It’s something that can surprise, and it’s something that can win you matches, and I feel that way. So I’m sure it will come back. Not like the old days, no options, but I think (…) it would be good for the game as well, to have a little more variation in general.
Courts are not as fast as you once knew. Some people will want to go back to the courts very quickly. What do you think?
Well, you don’t want to make the courts too fast, but I think this is a good trial here, to make it a little bit faster, and I think it’s generally good to have a little bit of change in the speed of the court because the game will be played a little bit differently if it’s a little bit faster. Obviously (…) it becomes more difficult to defend and it becomes easier to serve volley if it is faster.
Shelton, “putting together a puzzle”
What about? Ben Shelton? He also played a great semi-final with such a big serve.
Yes, he has a lot of potential and he’s kind of in the process of learning as he gets to the highest level of the game. I mean, it’s a bit of a puzzle to put together. (…) He’s already threatened Grand Slams and I’m sure he’ll win a slam at some stage because he’s got the game, he’s got the power and (…) he just got there.
Edberg, 30 years after retirement
The Rolex Paris Masters is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and let’s not forget that it’s been 30 years since you retired. How do you feel about your tennis heritage when you go to tournaments and meet people?
Well, I think tennis has grown as a sport (…). And I think they’re doing a good thing about the history as well, and keeping some of the older players, and maybe it’s nice for some of the older fans to see us, you know, actually physically here and watching, or, you know, being represented on the court a little bit today. Tennis adds to that.