Eliminated in the quarter-finals in Paris, the Murcian needs one last push to succeed in a major
Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t seem far from winning a Grand Slam. His tennis marks it so and so does his head. He has it between eyebrow and eyebrow. “I don’t see myself far from the semi-finals or winning them. I have to learn the lesson from what happened,” he explained after losing to Alexander Zverev.
The Murcian walks a fine line between being one of the favorites for the title, as evidenced by the strongest player on clay, and being too young to win the title. On his shoulders is the pressure to achieve something that has not been achieved in 17 years and that is to win a Grand Slam in less than 20 years. The last to reach it was Rafael Nadal in Paris, when he defeated Mariano Puerta at just over 19 years old. It is a very difficult mirror to reflect in, but one that Alcaraz stands in front of day in and day out.
Also because your results put you there. The world’s number six is the second best tennis player of the year, having already won four titles (Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid), the only one to have won two Masters 1,000 and recognized by all as the best of the course. Even its rivals. “I’ve won the best player on clay right now,” admitted Zverev, who needs these triumphs so as not to be swallowed up by the gluttony of the ‘Big Three’ and the hunger of the youngest.
Alcaraz failed to achieve the goal of a title in which he was favorited and comfortable at Roland Garros. He encountered the reality that if only six tennis players other than Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have won a Grand Slam since Roland Garros 2005, it is no coincidence. “I’m leaving with my head held high, because I’ve been in it until the end,” said the Murcian, who is now heading for the grass tour, where Queen’s and Wimbledon are the main targets.
Source: La Verdad
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