Former World No. 4 Pat Cash is best remembered for winning the 1987 Wimbledon singles title, as well as having one of the most effective serve-and-volley styles. As a grass-court specialist, he made a surprising choice when choosing the best player he has seen on the surface, not mentioning Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.
After Carlos Alcaraz claimed his second consecutive title in Wimbledon in 2024, Cash crowned him as the best on the surface. “He hasn’t got a weakness. I almost think he is one of the best […] the best player I have ever seen on grass at his best,” he told Sky Sports Tennis, via Tennis365.com. “Ever seen, and I am talking about ever seen,” he emphazised.
“Because he is a young guy, he has taken the best of Rafa [Nadal], the best of Federer and he has been able to adapt that. Without these great players, he wouldn’t have had that, and he admits that. He said without Rafa ‘I wouldn’t be where I am’, but he has just taken the best of everything and somehow at the age of 21 has put it all together,” Cash explained.
Carlos Alcaraz has won two Wimbledon titles so far (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
So far, Alcaraz has only played 27 top-level matches on grass, but he has won two Wimbledon titles, defeating seven-time champion Djokovic in both finals. He also won the Queen’s Club Championship in 2023. His winning percentage is 87%, which is impressive. Actually, it is the same winning percentage of Federer, however, the Swiss Maestro played 221 matches (winning 192).
see also
He was world No. 7, defeated Federer, Djokovic and Nadal but retired at only 26: ‘I had to be real with myself’
The best grass-court players of all time
Grass is not one of the most popular surfaces in modern tennis, having one of the shortest seasons in the tennis calendar. Also, the purest way of playing on grass, the serve and volley, isn’t so common anymore. So, there are fewer grass-court specialists. However, in men’s tennis, some of the names that are often associated with grass are Federer, Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg and Djokovic.
When it comes to numbers on the surface, Federer is still the leader. He holds the record for the Wimbledon titles, with eight. In total, he won 19 titles on grass, including his record-breaking 10 titles at Halle.
Djokovic and Federer after the 2014 Wimbledon final (Al Bello/Getty Images)
However, in recent years, Djokovic, who is usually associated with hard courts, came close to Federer’s dominance on grass, even defeating him in three finals in Wimbledon, while the Swiss was only able to beat him once in a semifinal. This year, Djokovic will have a chance to equalize the Swiss’ record of eight titles at the Championships. However, Alcaraz will like to win his third title in a row.
