Mats Wilander has been a huge fan of Carlos Alcaraz since he emerged, and he showered him with more praise recently.
Wilander emerged as a super-talented youngster who won Grand Slams as a teenager, becoming one of the most recognized players on the ATP Tour. Now, he has become one of the more respected analytical voices in tennis.
The Swede has been a big fan of Alcaraz and what he brings to tennis from the moment he stepped on the court. There is a very good reason for that: the young Spanish player truly is worthy of praise.
The 21-year-old is one of the most electric players we’ve seen in recent memory; in fact, Wilander called him the most exciting tennis player of all time. That is hugely important for the sport at a time when the chapter when the Big Three dominated the sport for two decades is coming to an end.
Wilander singled out that part of Alcaraz’s story because, as someone who has observed the sport for many years, tennis thrives when familiar faces do familiar things.
When one, two, or three players dominate, the sport becomes a global phenomenon. After the Big Three chapter, Alcaraz doing what he’s been doing in the past two to three years is what the sport needs.
Speaking on the Courtside Conversations podcasts, the 59-year-old spoke about Alcaraz’s resemble of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer.
“I think it’s much better for the game that you have the same faces, and of course, we’re so used to it with Roger, Rafa and Novak, so to see Carlos carry that legacy on is just brilliant for our game.”
“You put Roger and Rafa, and Novak in the same body, and then you put a big smile on their faces. That’s Carlos Alcaraz.”
Wilander’s comparison is interesting, but it’s not something that hasn’t been floated before. Plenty compare Alcaraz to the Big Three, but that’s because the Big Three set the standard.
However, the comparison isn’t something that Alcaraz enjoys because he stated many times that he wants to be his own player, which is totally fair. Still there are plenty of similarities between him and the Big Three which is understandable as he grew up watching them.
He was inspired by them, and it’s something that gets overlooked. The Big Three shaped the impact of how tennis is played and approached today, meaning that many today’s players will show marks of them.
“He moves as well as Novak. He’s got the same passion as Rafa and he’s got the same craftmanship and grace and feel as Roger Federer. All three of them have great feel, all three of them have great passion, all three of them move beautifully but those are three, that’s the legacy that I will remember and miss the most about the Big Three.”
“Carlos Alcaraz straight away comes out and shows that he grew up, and those three guys were like the Beatles for him. I don’t think players realize the impact these players had.”
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