The ATP and WTA stars have started to unleash the action at Wimbledon. The last few hours marked the first day of the grass-court major event during which players went through their opening round showdowns. While it was the right moment to record fresh statistics of players, men’s singles defending champion Carlos Alcaraz‘s numbers were surprisingly overtaken by an American WTA star.

Madison Keys has shocked the tennis world by hitting her backhand 8 mph faster than Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. According to the latest Wimbledon statistics displayed during the broadcast, Keys’ backhand hit a massive 76 mph mark, a number which is outstanding for a WTA star. Alcaraz on the other hand, maxed out at 68 mph even after being known for his strength in this particular skill.

The reflection of Madison Keys’ strength wasn’t just limited to the backhand. Her forehand speed also stood slightly above than that of the defending champion, recorded at 78 mph compared to the Spaniard’s 76 mph.

These stats were drawn from their opening matches at Wimbledon where both players emerged victorious. Madison Keys won her first-round match against Martina Trevisan with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (4) and is now scheduled to be in a showdown against China’s Yafan Wang in the second round. Keys seems to be strong enough on grass this time as she recently made it to the semi-finals in Eastbourne.

Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, began his run for the Wimbledon title with a remarkable win over Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-2. The Spaniard has marked several moments in history where he talked regarded his backhand as one of the strongest weapons. “I think my backhand, it was improving during these years. When I was young, my forehand was my best shot. It’s still my best shot, but I feel really comfortable with my backhand,” he said in an interview with the ATP tour.

Madison Keys’ day 1 performance at the grass court major event made her levels known to the world. Although Carlos Alcaraz stood behind her numbers, he still strives to add creativity, switching between one-handed and two-handed backhand.

Carlos Alcaraz idolizes Roger Federer for the rare one-handed backhand

It was quite concerning for the whole tennis world to realize the scarcity of one-handed backhanders. While it was Roger Federer mainly who kept the skill’s value alive on tour, his retirement took it away with him. Although Carlos Alcaraz generally practices a two-handed backhand, there was a time when he was inspired with the Swiss tennis maestro and therefore started imitating his skill.

“When I was young, I loved to try new things,” he said in an interview dating back to 2023. Marking one-handed backhand as one of the new things that he tried, the Spaniard added, “Probably the one-handed backhand was one of those things that I practised for just one day. I love to do different shots, different things on court. Probably that day I watched a Roger Federer match, and I tried to imitate him.”

Although the skill isn’t something that he regularly practices, the Roland Garros champion admires the beauty of it. While two-handed backhand is his comfortable shot, the fact that Madison Keys surpassed his levels makes her stand out.