Carlos Alcaraz still has things he wants to improve within his game, despite all of the success he has already achieved.
Alcaraz is already a seven-time Grand Slam champion, and the youngest player ever to complete the Career Grand Slam, despite still being only 23 years old.
The Spaniard completed the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this year, but it has definitely been a more difficult season for Alcaraz, who spent nearly five months on the sidelines with a wrist injury.
Alcaraz is now back to fitness and hoping to finish his 2026 season in style, but he has admitted there is still something he is struggling with after his latest win at the Vienna Open.
Carlos Alcaraz confesses that he still struggles to be patient during points
Alcaraz has already won a title since returning to competition following his injury, and he is hoping to add another to his collection at the Vienna Open. Alcaraz has now made it to the semi-finals in the Austrian capital after beating Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-6(2), and after the match he spoke to media.
In this post-match press conference, Alcaraz was asked about the variety of shots he has in his arsenal and whether he sometimes finds it difficult to know which shot is the best to hit in the midst of an intense rally.
This is something that Alcaraz admitted he does struggle with, as he confessed that he can sometimes choose the worst shot and often needs to be more patient in points.
“Well it’s difficult for me sometimes,” answered Alcaraz. “Tennis is about making decisions in less than a second and that’s what makes tennis really difficult.
“Sometimes I really struggle with it, I struggle to decide the best shots in the situation that I am in that moment. Sometimes it comes natural, sometimes I don’t think about it, but sometimes I decide the worst one, thinking that I can pull off three, four, five shots in that situation and ending up choosing the worst one.
“I am just trying to be better on that and have a specific plan in my head for the first two, three balls and after that let my instinct play, see how the match goes, but sometimes it’s really difficult for me. The other question is that I’m getting patient right now but I wouldn’t say it’s my best skill yet.”
Give us one bold prediction for the final months of the 2026 tennis season!
Who is Carlos Alcaraz playing in the Vienna Open semi-finals?
Alcaraz will be hoping that he can find the right shots in his Vienna Open semi-final, where he faces a tricky test against former world number one Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev is currently in a rich vein of form, having won seven consecutive matches after winning the Almaty Open title last week.
However, Alcaraz is likely to be feeling confident against Medvedev, as he has won six of his nine previous matches against the Russian. This includes four of their six previous matches on hard courts, but Alcaraz did lose his most recent match against Medvedev.
The only match Alcaraz and Medvedev have played against each other this year was in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells, where the latter produced a stunning victory to end the Australian Open champion’s 16-match winning streak.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2021 | Wimbledon (R64) | Medvedev beat Alcaraz, 6-4 6-1 6-2 |
| 2023 | Indian Wells (F) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 6-3 6-2 |
| 2023 | Wimbledon (SF) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 6-3 6-3 6-3 |
| 2023 | US Open (SF) | Medvedev beat Alcaraz, 7-6(1) 6-1 3-6 6-3 |
| 2023 | ATP Finals (RR) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 6-4 6-4 |
| 2024 | Indian Wells (F) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 7-6(5) 6-1 |
| 2024 | Wimbledon (SF) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 6(1)-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 |
| 2024 | China Open (SF) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 7-5 6-3 |
| 2026 | Indian Wells (SF) | Medvedev beat Alcaraz, 6-3 7-6(3) |
Alcaraz will now be hoping to get revenge on Medvedev, as he attempts to end his winning streak in Vienna.
The winner of the semi-final match between Alcaraz and Medvedev will face either new world number one Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur in the final.
