Few athletes like it Carlos Alcaraz They strictly live up to the very high expectations placed on him since he was a child and have already seen the qualities of a tennis player called upon to mark an era. When he won the first one grand slam in it US Open 2022 At 19 years old he also became the youngest No. 1 in history.
He has won twice Wimbledon (2023, 2024) and another in Roland Garros (2024), so that if the imminent Australian Open He will become the ninth tennis player to complete four Grand Slam titles, an honor hitherto reserved for Fred Perry (1935), Don Budge (1938), Rod Laver (1962), Roy Emerson (1964), Andrew Agassi (1999), Roger Federer (2009), Rafael Nadal (2010) and Novak Djokovic (2016).
In fact, Alcaraz is looking forward to this year Melbourne (also the next if he fails) to become the youngest tennis player to reach the ‘big four’, a milestone now held by Don Budge, who did so at 22 years and 363 days. Carlos will be 21 years and 266 days old if he lifts the champion’s cup on January 26.
Compliments and comparisons with ‘Big Three’ which they formed Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer has been consistent since the appearance of the Murcian and, on the eve of the Australian Open, another legend of tennis such as Mats Wilander gave a strong opinion about Alcaraz.
“If he wins in Australia he will be the most successful 21-year-old in the history of tennis. Winning on grass, clay and hard courts at that age is unusual. Carlos is one of the most complete players I have ever seen at that age, he’s more complete than Federer was at 21,” Wilander said in his review for Eurosport. The Swiss is considered by many to be the most technically perfect tennis player, so the Swede’s words have a special relevance.
“Alcaraz’s chance to complete the Grand Slam is incredibly exciting. He’s the most interesting player right now, he’s someone people expect to be in the top three for at least the next decade .I hope that Carlos, Jannik Sinner and others are doing the same thing they did last year. I don’t see Novak Djokovic not winning, but now it’s really about the next generation of players. Alexander Zverev I could also win one or two ‘big ones’, so it’s shaping up to be a very exciting year,” observes Wilander, former world No. 1 who won seven Grand Slams. He lacks Wimbledon to win the four ‘big ones’.
“Winning all four Grand Slams in the same year is that important? Not exactly. If he doesn’t win the Australian Open, he’ll have more motivation to keep going, I think you need a reason to keep trying. It’s good for him to have that hunger. Yeah, everybody wins soon, there’s a risk of losing that motivation,” Wilander said.
Source: La Verdad

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