From being just one of many rising teenagers in tennis who couldn’t keep up with Rafael Nadal in 2021, to becoming a Grand Slam winner and world number 1 to beating Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon final, Carlos Alcaraz has come a long way. Prior to this, generations after generations of tennis players had failed to challenge or even keep up with the Big Three. This left tennis fans scouting for someone to take over the mantle of entertaining them from Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. And Alcaraz seems to be the heir everyone’s been looking for.
Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic’s absolute dominance has been unlike any reign witnessed in any sport. To put their stronghold over tennis into context, the three have won a total of 64 Grand Slam titles while all other players have claimed a total of 64 Majors since 1991. To match this degree of caliber a supreme talent is required and with nobody stepping up, fans were resigned to tennis becoming a dull affair once the Big Three bid adieu to the sport.
Why fans are putting their faith in Carlos Alcaraz
Although Alcaraz is still far from deserving a comparison with the Big Three, he has shown sustained brilliance over the last couple of years that warrants the hope fans have of him. Having won 4 Masters titles and two Grand Slams now, the Spaniard has exhibited a mettle and winning mentality that has been missing from many pretenders before him.
He may not have beaten Nadal or Djokovic en route his maiden Major at the US Open in 2021 but he had beaten both of them otherwise. Now, he’s also put to rest doubts regarding whether he could beat either in a best of 5 Grand Slam match. Moreover, he has reached the summit of the men’s singles rankings, something that has proven mighty tough with Djokovic ruling the roost.
If 2022 was his breakthrough year, 2023 has seen Alcaraz step his game up and solidify his claim to the throne. The 20-year old has already surpassed his tally of 5 titles from last season, once again winning two Masters titles at Madrid and Miami. Moreover, he has also claimed his maiden grass court titles, one at Queen’s before winning the biggest grass title of them all. He’s now won a title on all three surfaces at an age younger than any of the Big Three members.
A blend of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic
These are simply statistics and numbers. Alcaraz’s real beauty lies in the game that he plays on the court and the personality he has off it. An accomplished baseliner already, as is necessary in contemporary tennis, the Spaniard has the ability to mix things up and change his game style as per the situation. Lethal dropshots, a solid serve and a powerful and jarring forehand make for a frightening combination. Add to that his tenacity, court coverage, pace and the ability to turn defense into offense in a snap and you have what many would call a mix of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic.
Even Ivan Ljubicic, Roger Federer’s former coach believes this to be the case. In a recent interview he gave, the former World No. 3 had this to say about Alcaraz.
“He’s brought another dimension to tennis, a dimension young players lacked in the last 10-20 years. He is positive and he is something we haven’t seen so far – some sort of ‘sick’ combination of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.”
However, Ljubicic also made another point that is vital and something that Alcaraz will have to be mindful of if he is to emulate the success of the Big Three in the coming years.
“I just hope that his body holds up, because he is putting crazy demands on his body at this moment.”
The World No. 1 has struggled with a few injuries, especially since his US Open triumph, because of which he could not compete at the Australian Open. He even struggled with preserving his physicality over two weeks at Roland Garros, ending up cramping in his semi final clash against Djokovic.
Given his style of play, which can be very rigorous on his body, how Carlos Alcaraz maintains his physical fitness will define the degree of success he can achieve in tennis. The Spaniard, however, has every tool in the shed to live up to the hype and make it big.
