Carlos Alcaraz has never won the Shanghai Masters before in his career, but he will feel hopeful that this year can be his year.
After all, not only does he head to China having just claimed his first title since returning from injury, but with Jannik Sinner having ended his season early, the overwhelming favourite during this portion of the campaign is absent.
Naturally, there will be plenty of opposition, and it remains to be seen exactly how well the Spaniard’s recovering wrist deals with the scrutiny of the ATP Tour once again.
Fortunately, the Shanghai Masters has actually made a key change to their tournament this year, which will certainly boost Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of earning a maiden title at this Masters 1000 event.
Carlos Alcaraz admits he likes the new speed of the Shanghai Masters courts
Speaking courtside after his comprehensive opening-round win over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Alcaraz was brief but effusive in his adoration for the new feel of the Shanghai Masters surface.
He admitted that being as aggressive as he was ‘wasn’t the plan from the beginning’, but he quickly realised that, with these faster courts, it was the right strategy.
The 23-year-old added: “I tried to be ready and get used to the conditions. The speed of the court is very fast, which I like. Thanks to that, I started not very well, not getting the rhythm. So I tried to do something different.”
This change at the Shanghai Masters is quantifiable as well, with the Court Pace Index marking this year’s speed at 42.3, in the medium-fast range.
This marks nearly a ten-point jump from last year’s 32.8, and is the highest it has been here in Shanghai since 2017.
With a strong serve and frighteningly powerful weapons of both wings, it feels like this change will benefit Alcaraz more than most, and make for some rather explosive rallies that allow him to play his very best aggressive tennis.
How do tennis tournaments change the speed of their courts?
The construction of a tennis court is far more precise than many realise, and plenty goes into it in the year leading up to each event.
And, for hard courts in particular, there is an exact science that comes with physically crafting the perfect conditions for each event.
In the end, it all comes down to the acrylic coating put on top of the surface, which dramatically alters the speed.
The type and amount of sand mixed into these acrylic coatings, alongside changing the roughness of the surface layer and tweaking water-to-sand ratios, all contribute to this process.
Adding more sand or coarser sand increases friction on the surface. This higher friction grips the ball more, reducing speed and creating a slower court. Finer or less sand decreases friction, allowing the ball to skid faster.
Who will win the Shanghai Masters?
Vote now!
The acrylic cushion system used by hard courts arguably has the biggest impact though, with the ITF boasting various options to specifically change the speed to one of a handful of sanctioned levels.
In the case of the Shanghai Masters, as per the aforementioned data, they have moved from medium-slow to medium-fast in just a year.
