Carlos Alcaraz’s rapid rise to the top has sparked intense debate regarding his playing style, with some critics labeling the seven-time major champion as “inconsistent” due to his explosive shot-making. However, Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Mark Petchey, does not agree with this assessment at all.
Speaking recently, the tennis analyst dismantled the “comfortable” narrative surrounding the Spaniard, using statistical comparisons to Andy Roddick to prove that Alcaraz is, in fact, one of the most consistent competitors.
Emma Raducanu’s Former Coach Gives His Verdict on Carlos Alcaraz’s Consistency
Following his historic triumph at the 2026 Australian Open, Alcaraz has established himself as the most dominant force in men’s tennis right now. Yet, despite holding all four Grand Slam titles, people still think his game lacks stability compared to his opponents.
This “fire and ice” narrative, often compared with Jannik Sinner’s baseline game, implies that Alcaraz is the volatile counterpart prone to fluctuations. Petchey addressed this misconception during an episode of the Beyond the Numbers podcast, saying,
“That is the narrative that people have stuck out there because it is comfortable. It is very uncomfortable to see a guy like Alcaraz and say not only has he got an incredibly charismatic game with high velocity, but he’s also super disciplined, because that kind of goes against everybody’s thought process.”
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Petchey believes this desire for a volatile genius mirrors the past. “Because we also need Fire and Ice 2.0 after the great rivalry of Björn Borg and John McEnroe, so we need to develop a narrative here that’s going to fit very nicely into Fire and Ice 2.0,” he added.
Apart from this, Petchey pointed to the statistical data from Alcaraz’s early career to prove his consistency on court. “And the reality is that Carlos is one of the most consistent players that we’ve ever seen. Let’s talk about how many match wins he had in his first 100 matches on tour. He sits at 75 (actually 74), that’s a couple better than Andy Roddick at 73.”
This statistical start places Alcaraz ahead of many legends in their opening century of matches. For context, while Novak Djokovic eventually became the synonym of consistency, his win count in his first 100 tour-level matches was notably lower, as the Serbian legend took slightly longer to reach his peak compared to the Spaniard’s explosive start.
Alcaraz’s Dominance on the ATP Tour in the Past Two Years
Beyond his early statistics, Alcaraz’s performance over the last two seasons has been the definition of consistency. Since his initial breakthrough, the World No. 1 has been a constant presence in the latter stages of the sport’s biggest events, dominating across hard courts, clay, and grass.
His ability to adapt his game while maintaining the best results contradicts the idea that he relies on brilliance rather than his performance. The “inconsistent” label typically applies to players who win a title one week and suffer an early exit the next, but Alcaraz has managed to reach the final four of almost every tournament he’s entered.
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One of the best examples is his record in major finals. By Feb. 2026, Alcaraz had contested eight Grand Slam finals and emerged victorious in seven of them. His only defeat on the biggest stage of them all came at Wimbledon 2025, where he fell to Sinner in an intense encounter that became an instant classic.
Aside from that single loss on the grass court, he has been flawless when a Grand Slam trophy is on the line. Winning seven majors at such a young age while having a success rate of nearly 90% in finals demonstrates a mental resilience that few players in history have matched. Currently, he is in Qatar for the Masters 1000 tournament and will face Arthur Rinderknech in the Round of 32 match tomorrow, Feb. 16.