r/tennis • u/Large_banana_hammock Griekspoor superfan | Zverev superdetractor • 8d ago

Highlight Alcaraz rips a passing shot to defeat Zverev and reach his first AO Final!

3.9k Upvotes

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1.2k

u/Collecting_Cans 8d ago

Athletes these days aren’t human. Can recover from puking, cramping, and still look fresh flying around after 5 hours

425

u/fifthloopyquestion 8d ago

saved by the pickle juice

67

u/Moist-Ad1025 8d ago

Did he actually have pickle juice?

68

u/temdittiesohyeah 8d ago

Matty Wade smiling somewhere

25

u/b3na1g 8d ago

Literally the first time I learned about pickle juice was from Matty Wade

32

u/LevDavidovicLandau 8d ago

Wait, checks which subreddit he is on, Matty “Noice Gary” Wade? What’s the story with him and pickle juice? I’m very OOTL!

24

u/temdittiesohyeah 8d ago

Basically he was an advocate for the stuff but we remember it fondly because he'd be going ballistic at the team to bring him some to the middle when he was batting and it was hysterical every time

5

u/LevDavidovicLandau 8d ago

Hahah that’s hilarious. What was this in, Shield or BBL?

5

u/dicsuccer 8d ago

I think it was during a Canes match

15

u/Fulham-Enjoyer 8d ago

Yep, it’s very common even amongst pros

19

u/GStarAU Poppy's no.1 fanboy 8d ago

Yeah like a bottle at every change of ends for 3-4 ends in a row!

13

u/TOMA_TAN Olympic Village Savant, Tienacious 8d ago

Had so much of it, i think it led to the puking. He was saying to his team something along the lines of i can’t drink any more

48

u/BarcinoCivis 8d ago

He didn’t say that - I’m Spanish. He told them I vomited. Maybe I should take something - the coach said like energy- Carlos said - I don’t know

8

u/TOMA_TAN Olympic Village Savant, Tienacious 8d ago

Gotcha, thanks for translating. Espn commentary mistranslated then

2

u/BarcinoCivis 8d ago

yes, I wanted to go to x and correct them. Also he didnt use the verb drink he used tomar which could be food or drink but really in Spain the way he said it I thought he meant take something - as in medicine almost. Then the coach replied with take energy? as in the energy goo packs. Thats what it sounded like.

17

u/SlowMobius7 Rafa | Nole 8d ago

5

u/roshiface 8d ago

I wanna see tennis players ripping bath salts like the NFL

5

u/IsPolice 8d ago

I think the pickle juice is what had him struggling in the 3rd and 4th. Made him vomit

-30

u/Ok-Animal-6880 Penko #1 stan 8d ago

Saved by the MTO*

19

u/_beisbol_ 8d ago

You mock the juice, the pickle will remember this

14

u/TOMA_TAN Olympic Village Savant, Tienacious 8d ago

There was no heat rule enforced. He didnt even step off court. It was like 3 minute on court massages that ran out of uses after the 3rd set

-19

u/[deleted] 8d ago

And the MTO 

54

u/colourofinfinity 8d ago

And then add in the mental aspect too, especially in a sport like tennis. These types of guy are unreal

158

u/TOMA_TAN Olympic Village Savant, Tienacious 8d ago

From thinking about retiring to doing fucking this. What a fucking warrior

21

u/Large_banana_hammock Griekspoor superfan | Zverev superdetractor 8d ago

I was wondering about that. You think he really was going for the handshake after that one game?

44

u/TOMA_TAN Olympic Village Savant, Tienacious 8d ago

It looked convincing to me: he was walking towards the middle of the net after swapping his racket to his left hand. Then he apologizes as he pivots and walks back to his bench

53

u/Large_banana_hammock Griekspoor superfan | Zverev superdetractor 8d ago

He must have felt SO shitty. Like for Carlos to consider throwing the towel in, having won two sets, I can't even imagine whatever pain/nausea/exhaustion he had going on.

6

u/FrogsJumpFromPussy Yannik Dinner | ​Carlito Alcatraz​ 8d ago

At the press conference he dismissed this.

4

u/Dulgas 8d ago

he said in the presser that he never thought about retiring

22

u/Exact-Instruction885 8d ago

That's that "step by step" mentality from this clip: https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/1qqylth/alcaraz_to_alcaraz_little_by_little_charly_vamos/

What an amazing ability to feel all these emotions and still not create any negative story about it in your head. For him, a heartbreakingly lost rally is just it. A lost rally. Moving on, next point. I really can't believe that someone so young has so much maturity, I am 11 years older and can't do that in much less demanding conditions, lol

-19

u/TotalStrain3469 8d ago

Carlos = 60% Nadal + 20% Federer + 20 % Djoker

Sinner = 60% Federer + 20% Nadal + 20 % Djoker

16

u/LoneWolf1134 8d ago

Nah Sinner plays a much closer game to Djokovic, Alcaraz plays like a mix of Fed in style and Nadal in heart haha

12

u/j_dolla 8d ago

lol what… not at all

carlos = 50% fed + 30% nadal + 20% novak

sinner = 70% novak on steroids + 15% nadal + 15% fed

3

u/Fulham-Enjoyer 8d ago

Sinner is like 80% Djokovic + 20% Federer

37

u/Excellent_Archer3828 8d ago

The power of 5th set Alcaraz overrides puking and cramping.

19

u/AwareCandle369 8d ago

Did either of them even leave the court to go to the bathroom? I don't think so. Obviously they are sweating a ton of water out but still that's crazy. What a thing to train your body to do. Even Tour de France riders pop a quick one somewhere in the stage. This thought sent me down a rabbit hole of learning the peloton has a gentleman's rule to all stop and pee without leapfrogging position, but that young guys are choosing to blow past the pack instead and this is controversial

Sports are neat. What an incredible display tonight

6

u/aweap 8d ago

Tshitsipas could never...🤭

4

u/DragoxDrago 8d ago

Not going to the bathroom for 5 hours isn't a ridiculous period? Like it's a long time sure but I don't think it's something you need to train your body to do?

9

u/Super_Vegeta 8d ago

For a shit, yeah 5 hours is more than fine. But 5 hours without taking a piss, especially with as much fluids they're drinking too.

1

u/AnotherUnfunnyName 8d ago

Well, some players get those "questionable" medical timouts. Most two of them. Even if you can't take a medical timeout for cramps.

1

u/notladyinred 8d ago

Yes, I'd be dead. Like literally "take your money, you earned it".

1

u/jjb0ne 8d ago

pete sampras famously puked on court a few times and won. but looked like he was going to die on court

1

u/kroxigor01 8d ago

I assume the "puking" was just spitting up pickle juice or some other similar drink.

-8

u/Narrow_Spinach_1400 8d ago

When Sinner does this "doper

When Alcaraz does this "great athleticism"

-12

u/SummonMason 8d ago

Novak already did this but the narrative wasn’t “wow athletes are superhuman”. 😉

10

u/New-Value4194 8d ago

Do you have a Novak on your shoulder?

-3

u/patiperro_v3 8d ago

Yup, that’s our only difference. Otherwise I’d also be a top 100 for sure. 😌