Clijsters on the evolution of men's tennis: "Guys like Sinner and Alcaraz aim for a winning shot on almost every ball".
Former world number 1 Kim Clijsters continues to comment on the latest tennis news.
The Belgian, now 41, spoke about the evolution of men's tennis in recent years. In particular, the woman who has won four Grand Slam singles titles talked about Alcaraz and Sinner.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have the feeling that there's a change in the game. This men's tennis is characterized by guys who hit the ball a lot harder.
Today's tennis players aren't that far from the baseline anymore, with just one exception among the top-ranked, Daniil Medvedev.
Some still do, but they're few and far between. Then, when you look at the matches, take Novak Djokovic, for example, for the way he constructs his points.
He rarely hits two or three consecutive shots in the same zone. Things are changing, and I'm thinking of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, for example.
Every time they receive a short ball from their opponent, they don't think twice and aim to hit a winning shot.
I remember when I was younger, in my day, we often tried to hold the rally, to wait for the right ball before attacking.
But now, that aspect has changed a lot. Guys like Jannik and Carlos are so aggressive that they aim for a winning shot on almost every ball," Clijsters concluded for Tennis World.
I'm not sure what she means by 'short', but the first time an opponent hits the ball closer to the middle of the court than the baseline the point is usually over. Because a short ball opens up the available angles so much it's absolutely impossible for the opponent to cover them all. Hitting a winner off a short return is almost a given.