Carlos Alcaraz – Not just a new winning face

Whether Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas and of course Daniil Medvedev: names like these have tried in recent years to finally end the dominance of the “big three”. But if Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic are in top shape, it is still difficult to eliminate them in Grand Slam tennis tournaments. But one name has emerged as the most promising candidate of the younger generation over the past twelve months: Carlos Alcaraz.

Even at 16, “Carlitos,” as he would like to be called, was predicted to have a great future. And Alcaraz shares have risen enormously within a year. This can be seen not only in the four tournament victories this year in Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona and the ATP Masters 1000 events in Miami and Madrid. A few days after his 19th birthday (May 5th), he has now climbed to sixth place in the ATP rankings. The trend continues to rise sharply. A year ago, Alcaraz was a qualifier at Roland Garros, but now he is a serious title contender.

The Spaniard has had a lot to celebrate this year. © ANSA / ERIK S. LESSER

He is often compared to Nadal, his idol, whom he recently defeated for the first time in the quarter-finals in Madrid. Even if Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer, who is still working on his comeback at the age of almost 41, are absolutely exceptional figures in tennis history: experts believe that Alcaraz, who is already such a complete player, can follow in these huge footsteps.

“Yes, I'm ready to win a Grand Slam and go for it. “It’s my goal this year, let’s see what happens in Roland Garros,” he said beforehand. But comparisons with the greats can also suffocate a young talent because of the high expectations. Djokovic and Nadal also warn about this. “I generally don’t like comparisons. Everyone is special. But he is already breaking many records as a teenager. “He is by far the best player in the world this year, no question about it,” Djokovic also admitted.

Nadal also thinks that Alcaraz should be allowed to enjoy “his personal career.” But what makes his young compatriot so promising? “Carlos plays with a lot of adrenaline, with momentum. When his adrenaline is pumping, he's practically unstoppable. Then there are mistakes, but that’s logical because he plays with a lot of risk.”

However, the game with the “laughing third party” can also go the other way. A Rafael Nadal is and remains, if his body holds up, the King of Paris.

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Carlos Alcaraz – Not just a new winning face

The 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz has been shaking up the tennis scene for several months and is one of the most impressive teenagers in many years.

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