THERE’S NO ESCAPING ALCARAZ
‘Right now he’s the best player in the world’
NOVAK Djokovic has hailed Carlos Alcaraz as the “best player” of the season so far and said the Spanish teenager was one of the “main favourites” for Roland Garros.
Few players have rivalled Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic over the past two decades, but the Spanish teenager threatens to up-end tennis’s established order after a dizzying rise to stardom.
Alcaraz, who only turned 19 last week, became the first player to beat Nadal and Djokovic on clay at the same tournament on his way to a second Masters 1000 title in Madrid.
“So far he’s the best player in the world, no question, this year with the results that he’s been doing,” Djokovic said at the Italian Open.
“The way he was dealing with the pressure in our match a few days ago, how calm he was all the way until the end, was impressive. He deserved to win the trophy.”
Seemingly preordained for greatness, Alcaraz has so far delivered on the promise. He was also described by beaten finalist Alexander Zverev as “the best player in the world”.
He became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist of the Open era last September, then won his first Masters crown in Miami in early April. Only Nadal has won two such titles at a younger age. Coached by former world No.1 and 2003 Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz knows he has some way to go. “I still have to improve in everything,” he said.
“I have very good shots, but they can be improved and can be much better.”
Alcaraz was born in 2003, barely two months before Federer won his first major title at Wimbledon.
But, perhaps unsurprisingly, it is his compatriot Nadal – the record 21-time grand slam champion – he most admires.
A year ago Alcaraz sat 120th when he made his Madrid debut. Fast-forward 12 months and the hot young prospect has soared to sixth.
His four singles titles are the most on the ATP tour this year, as are his 28 match wins.
“It is great for tennis that we have such a new superstar that is going to win so many grand slams, that is going to be world No.1,” said Zverev.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, last year’s French Open runner-up, marvels at Alcaraz’s polished, all-round game.
“He inspires me a lot. I really want to be like him. I look up to him,” said the 23-year-old Tsitsipas, at the forefront of the generation poised to take over from the “Big Three”.