Former World No.1 Billie Jean King made a huge prediction about Carlos Alcaraz. Talking about the Big 3 of men’s tennis and Alcaraz in an interview with Sky Sports, she said the Spaniard could become the greatest tennis player ever. However, she mentioned one major condition for it to happen.
King also praised Alcaraz for reviving a certain element in tennis. She commended him for bringing back the drop shot and utilizing it in the best way possible. Alcaraz has compelled many other players on tour to adopt using the drop shot.
King predicts Carlos Alcaraz will be better than the Big 3
The Big 3, i.e. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, have dominated men’s tennis like never before. The trio have reigned supreme for nearly two decades, winning 65 Grand Slam titles (and counting) between them so far. Their era is nearing an end, with Federer retiring last year and Nadal in his final stretch. Djokovic, however, has kept going full throttle, pulling clear in the Grand Slam race with 23 titles.
King said that men’s tennis has been spoilt and indulged by the Big 3. Djokovic’s run was not lost on her, as she said that the Serb would ultimately be regarded as the greatest of the trio since he is likely to add more Majors titles to his kitty.
“The men have been totally spoiled with Federer and Nadal and Djokovic. Djokovic is probably going to end up as the greatest (of those three) as I think he is going to keep winning Grand Slams.”
King then addressed Alcaraz and expressed her fondness for the World No.1. She said that she saw the Spaniard as an 18-year-old first and tipped him to be the greatest ever back then. However, the American legend stressed that he should stay injury-free for him to achieve that distinction.
“Then you have Alcaraz, who I adore. I first saw him when he was 18 and I said, I will say now, he is going to be the greatest ever, unless he gets hurt.”
As someone who won 39 Grand Slams across singles and doubles, King’s observation cannot be taken lightly. Alcaraz, in his brief pro career, has already skipped a few important events due to injury. Most notably, he missed the ATP Finals and Davis Cup last year and the Australian Open this year. In 2023 itself, Alcaraz has cramped up and lost two high-stakes matches because of the physical intensity.
Alcaraz revived the drop shot, says BJK
King showered praise on Alcaraz for re-establishing the drop shot into mainstream tennis. She said that it ‘drove her crazy’ to see no one use the technique even when their opponents were back at the baseline. The WTA founder, who was at her peak in the 1970s, believes each successive generation is better than the previous one. She dismissed the notion that older players could win against the newer generation, instead saying they would not even win a point.
“He has brought the drop shot back and in the 1980s it used to drive me crazy that no one would use the drop shot. Bring them in… they are on the baseline.
“Every generation gets better. I hate it when old players say they could win now, but are you kidding, we wouldn’t get a point.”
Alcaraz is likely to be the dominant player for the next decade, and he has a great rivalry developing with the most dominant player of this decade. Djokovic will retire as arguably the greatest-ever men’s singles player. However, Alcaraz has everything it takes to eclipse the Serbian as he looks to rule the court over the next few years.
