“It also speaks to his level, his ability to defend his serve in difficult situations,” he added. “There’s a lot to be disappointed about on the tennis court. Now you kind of live with it and move on.”
Shelton: “I wasn’t accurate on my first serve”
Shelton served 12 aces to six, but only landed 63 percent of his points on his first serve, compared to 71 percent for Alcaraz. He knows why. “If I’m going to be picky about my game, there are a few small areas today where I’d like to be better. One of them was placement,” he said. “I wasn’t accurate on my first serve. With Carlos’ speed, you feel the pressure of losing the edge you have after your serve.”
“He moves so well, gets into the open court so well, anticipates well and makes great passes,” he continued. “I like to try to finish the point within two strokes of my first serve, or at least get to the net, and it can be difficult with how well he was serving today, especially on his forehand. Against a player of his caliber, I need to be much more accurate with my first serve to be effective.”
Like Alcaraz the day before, Shelton kept it to the details. “I think Carlos was right yesterday, it’s all about the details,” he said. “That was the difference in our match at the US Open and the same here. Especially on such a high-speed surface, the edges will be small. Much glory to him. It’s always a pleasure to be on the court with him.”
The “same as Rafa” approach
The American leaves Paris with his sixth final of the season, a week after a disappointing exit in Basel, and with a lot to live up to. “I was happy with my level this week after some disappointment last week,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve been perfect on this indoor surface or played my best tennis in my career, but every year I feel more and more comfortable playing on it.”
He also explained why these conditions are still difficult for him. “I like to bounce the ball out of the lane with serves, heavy forehands and changes of pace. On this surface, those serves don’t jump as high, so they’re not as effective,” he said. “As a left-hander like Rafa, playing from the baseline means hitting hard balls to the other guy’s backhand. It’s really hard to do that on the court this fast. You have to adapt and play a little bit different style of game, and that’s why I’ve been successful here.”
After the US Open final against Alexander Zverev and this final against Alcaraz, Shelton heads to the ATP Finals where he will play against the best players in the world. “That’s the position I want to be in, and I think that’s how you keep improving,” he said. “It’s hard not to get better when you’re on the court with these guys who push you and make you play at a higher level. I’m super hungry and excited to go to Tour.”