Alcaraz is already one of the best players of the modern era
At just 21 years old, Carlos Alcaraz is already one of the best players of the modern era. The young Spaniard has won 4 Grand Slam titles and 5 Masters 1000, incredible results that testify to his enormous potential. The former world number 1 wants to make the history of the sport and his goal is to get closer to the Big 3 before the end of his career. Carlitos won the French Open and Wimbledon in the last month and a half, becoming the youngest player ever to do so in the same year.
After struggling in the first rounds at Church Road, Alcaraz raised his level in the second week of the tournament by clearly beating Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal and the seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final. Despite still being the world’s number 3, most fans and experts believe that Carlos is the strongest player in the world right now. The Spaniard could not rest much after his triumph at the Championships having to prepare for the Paris Olympics, which will take place on the red clay of the French Open later this month.
The four-time Grand Slam champion will play singles and doubles alongside Rafael Nadal, who will try to win his third gold medal at the Olympics. The Spanish couple will be among the favorites for the victory along with the Italian pair formed by Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.
Alcaraz celebrated his triumphs
After winning his first title at the French Open and his second consecutive title at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz decided to get a new tattoo. The former World number one has a small Eiffel Tower tattooed next to his left ankle.
La Tour Eiffel gravée dans la peau pour Carlos Alcaraz. 👀
L’Espagnol s’est fait tatouer avec la date de son titre à Roland-Garros. ✍️🇫🇷pic.twitter.com/KhNigVDvXw
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) July 19, 2024
The course of the Wimbledon final surprised fans and insiders. The Spaniard dominated the match from start to finish and gave no opportunity to the 24-time Grand Slam champion. In a recent interview, former Top 10 Andrea Petkovic commented on the 2024 Wimbledon final: “Last year, Carlos and Novak had been from the first moment on the players to beat at The Championships 2023. This year, however, Carlos looked vulnerable. A lot of unforced errors, lapses of focus, needing five sets against Frances Tiafoe in round three.
But just when he needed to, just when he ran into Tommy Paul who he had lost to two times already, who had been unbeaten on grass, just when it was about time – Carlos found his game. He upped his level, found the depth, the power, the variety and everyone else instantly became fodder. He played his best match against Novak Djokovic in the final. Countless times have I seen Novak look beatable in the first week and like from another planet in the second week. Peak when it matters most.”
Roger Federer’s former coach and tennis analyst Ivan Ljubicic also commented on the Wimbledon Championships final with surprise: “Boris Becker told me that it seemed to him that Novak had practically accepted Alcaraz’s superiority, which he had never done with Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer. We are not far from the generational change. That’s life.
His problem is psychological, he certainly hasn’t forgotten how to play tennis. Undoubtedly, ‘Nole’ must have fire inside, otherwise he is missing something. He is used to fighting on every point, to conquering the pitch inch by inch, and if he doesn’t feel those stimuli, he can get into difficulty.”
Carlitos is already in history
Only legends like Mats Wilander, Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker had won four majors at the same age as Alcaraz. The Spaniard will have the US Open 2024 and the Australian Open 2025 to become the youngest ever to win 5 Slams.
The 21-year-old from Murcia loves tennis, but he likes to take some time off to recharge his batteries. “I don’t want to feel like a slave to tennis and not have time for myself” – he explained. “I think it is fundamental and very necessary to then perform and come back to the court with batteries charged. Three or four years ago, I was called too emotional and accused of crying during matches. Today, I am held up as a model of mental resilience on the court and I am not afraid to say that this is a well-deserved opinion” – the Spaniard added.
In addition to the French Open and Wimbledon, Carlitos also won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 this year. The Spaniard had a forearm injury in the spring that forced him to miss the Masters 1000 in Montecarlo and the Masters 1000 in Rome. For this reason, Alcaraz played with an arm brace for a long time.
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