Carlos Alcaraz worked on one area of his game in particular during pre-season (Image: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz is hoping a remodelled serve will help him complete the career Grand Slam at the .
The 21-year-old already has four major titles to his name and, after adding a first French Open title and second last summer, is only missing the from his collection.
He has not yet made it past the quarter-finals in Melbourne, and last season was a tale of inconsistency from the Spaniard despite his slam success.
Alcaraz did not play a warm-up event before heading to Melbourne, instead focusing on improving his serve back home.
“I didn’t have too much time in the pre-season, so I just worked as much as I could to do a good serve,” he said.
He is not expecting instant results, saying: “Right now I’m still thinking about it. I’m still reminding myself how I have to do it.
“But every day is getting better and better, or I’m feeling better and better with it. We knew that I had to change something in the serve to be better on it.
“I think there are some times that I feel like it is a problem with it, because sometimes in the matches that I’ve played or during the practice, there are some games that I’m not doing the right thing.
“But it is something that (will be) really good. I will serve without thinking about it. It’s just going to be natural.
“Before probably one of the most issues that I have on the serve is the rhythm. I didn’t get the good rhythm. So I think with this one I’m going to get a good rhythm just to hit in the right spot every time.
“I have to be more precise on the serve. I think with a good rhythm it’s going to help a lot.”
Alcaraz has made no secret of wanting to make history, which caused a raised eyebrow from in a recent interview with GQ magazine.
“I respect that kind of mentality of ‘Hey, I think I got the goods’,” said Djokovic. “But maybe it’s a little bit early for him to think about history.”
Alcaraz, who faces Alexander Shevchenko in the first round on Monday, currently sits third in the rankings behind his big rival and German .
“For me the goal is to try to win grand slams, Masters 1000s,” he said. “That’s for me the most important tournaments of the world.
“Obviously the ranking is up there in the goals, as well, trying to get as close as I can to Jannik or try to pass Zverev as well. But mainly the thing for me, it’s grand slams, try to win as much Grand Slams as I can.”