Once a ruling family has been set up, it can be hard to change them. Carlos Alcaraz’s life, the “Big Three”—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—have dominated men’s tennis.
After Alcaraz, Federer won his first excellent smash title at Wimbledon on July 6, 2003. That was the start of an era in which the “Big Three” have won 61 of the last 74 grand slam tournaments.
Different men’s tennis players have been called the “next-generation”: Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic in 2015, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019, and Carlos Alcaraz in 2022.
So far, no one from this “next generation” has been able to challenge the “Big Three consistently.” However, Alcaraz brings something new to the table that hasn’t been seen since Nadal.
After winning the Barcelona Open at age 18, like Nadal, Alcaraz made it into the top 10 for the first time. He is also the youngest player to get into the top 10 and win an ATP 1000 title since Rafael Nadal.
Ben Rothenberg, a tennis journalist, said, “All of the best players of all time were already good or showed signs of being good as teenagers.”
Move the Goalposts
After winning the Miami Open in April, Alcaraz set some reasonably modest goals for 2022, like getting into the top 10 world rankings and making it to the quarterfinals of a grand slam.
After just three weeks, Alcaraz moved into the top 10 when he won the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz won his fourth championship of 2022 at the Madrid Open two weeks after Barcelona. On his way to the final, he beat Nadal and Djokovic.
So far this year, he has won 90 percent of his matches. On clay, that number goes up to 94 percent.
Alcaraz changed his goals a year after these wins and his meteoric rise to the top of his Sport.
Alcaraz told CNN, “I would say that I am one of the favorites to win Roland Garros.”
“There will be a lot of excellent players there, like Rafa, Djokovic, and the best players in the world, but I think I’m ready to do well at Roland Garros.”
Alcaraz will have to work hard to win his first grand slam at Roland Garros because he is in the same half of the draw as Nadal and Djokovic.
Still, Carlos Alcaraz’s team stays positive.
Carlos Alcaraz’s fitness coach, Alberto Lledó, “Carlos will get where he wants to go.”
“He will be able to reach his dream if he sets one and keeps working as hard as he has so far.”
Sharing Important Times
Carlos Alcaraz’s rise to become one of the favorites at Roland Garros began in his hometown, where his now-agent Albert Molina saw his talent when he was 11 years old.
Four years later, former world No. 1 and runner-up at the French Open Juan Carlos Ferrero started coaching the young player.
At the Miami Open, where Ferrero missed most of the tournament because his father had died, it was clear how close they were.
“Juanki should read this. You’ve got the win, “After he won his semifinal, Alcaraz wrote in Spanish on a camera lens.
Once Alcaraz made it to the final, Ferrero flew to Florida to surprise and cheer on his young charge.
Alcaraz said, “It signifies a lot to me to share this important moment with him.”
“Right now, he is going through a hard time. He spent a few days away from his family to stay with me, which is great for me.”
Ferrero and the remains of Carlos Alcaraz’s team have taught him that persistence and hard work are essential. His physiotherapist, Juanjo Moreno, calls this “a culture of effort.”
As is often the matter with young athletes, Carlos Alcaraz’s breakthrough at the highest level of his SportSport seems to have happened overnight after he made huge improvements during the offseason. Says Moreno, it’s the other way around.
“This year, we had a long preseason to focus more on his fitness development,” Moreno said. “However, Carlos has been working hard for a long time, changing his work, rest, and eating habits, which is why his fitness has changed.”
The Key To Getting Ahead
This “culture of effort” shows up in Carlos Alcaraz’s play on the court.
His athleticism is the foundation of his game, which lets him hit aggressive groundstrokes and defend fearlessly from anywhere on the court.
Alcaraz said, “I think I go for every game and every moment.” “I don’t worry about anything, and I don’t care who I play against.”
The key to his victory seems to be that he is always the same in all game parts.
He doesn’t have an evident strength or weakness. For example, he doesn’t have a powerful service that can be countered with a particular strategy.
Rothenberg said, “He’s a complete player for someone so young, and he can do everything.”
“Tactically, he seems to be very smart, and his tennis IQ is very high. He has also been in great shape.”
Lledó thinks Alcaraz is an exceptional talent because of how he thinks and acts in challenging situations, which shows his personality.
Alcaraz was outclassed 6-1 in the second scene of his quarterfinal match against Nadal at the Madrid Open, but he came back to win the game. He barely beat Djokovic 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(5) in the semifinal.
Alcaraz is a great player on the court, but he also has an easy charm and a big smile that make the crowd love him wherever he plays.
“No one has anything wrong to say about [him].”
“A new star has been born.”
Every time Alcaraz wins a championship, the media talk about him a little more because men’s tennis needs a new story and a new star.
After winning the Madrid Open, Spain’s sports newspapers hailed him as their new all-conquering hero.
The front page of Marca said, “Charlie, you’re great.” El Pas noted, “Another star is born,” and the front page of AS just said, “Blessed,” with a picture of Zverev pouring champagne over Alcaraz.
Most of this coverage doesn’t seem to be about Alcaraz himself.
Alcaraz told CNN after his win in Miami, “A lot of people were watching me and congratulating me.”
“Right now, social media is like a boom. I haven’t had time to read everything yet, but it’s amazing how many people and newspapers talk about you.”
Alcaraz doesn’t want to be seen as a revolutionary who started a new era by overthrowing the rules in men’s tennis for the last 20 years.
He said, “I’m lucky to learn from these guys [Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic] so close, to share a locker room and courts with them.” “I hope to be able to watch them for a long time.”
But no matter how long the “Big Three” can keep up their impressive careers, Roland Garros could be the scene of the first real challenge to the established order in men’s tennis in a long time.
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