Carlos Alcaraz shouldn’t be compared to the prestigious Big Three but there is one thing that sets him apart, according to tennis great Mats Wilander.
19-year-old Alcaraz has burst onto the scene during a season where he has finished as the youngest-ever year-end No.1 in ATP history. Within the past 12 months, he has won two ATP 500 titles and two Masters 1000 tournaments. Then at the US Open, he claimed his first Grand Slam title after defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final. Overall, he has won 57 out of 70 matches played in 2022, scoring nine wins over top-10 opposition.
Alcaraz’s rapid rise has generated a surge in praise towards him, as well as a comparison to the three heavyweights of men’s tennis. Especially compatriot Rafael Nadal who he idolized growing up.
“He doesn’t have to be considered the greatest player, but one thing is for sure: it is fun as hell to watch him play tennis when he’s that good and he’s laughing at the same time,” Wilander said of Alcaraz during an interview with Eurosport.
“He’s the most inspirational tennis player that we have because of what he did in 2022 and most of all because of the way he did it.
“Never compare him to Rafa, Roger and Novak, the way he did it I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Unfortunately for Alcaraz his fairytale year didn’t have a happy ending after an abdominal injury forced him to miss the prestigious ATP Finals which Novak Djokovic won for a record-equalling sixth time without losing a match.
Wilander believes the most crucial thing for the world No.1 now is learning to adapt to his new status as a top player in the men’s game. It was only at the start of last year when Alcaraz played in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time. 19 months ago he was yet to crack the top 100.
“I think it will be really hard to digest 2022 for Alcaraz,” he commented. “But I also think [coach] Juan Carlos Ferrero is going to know exactly what they need to do.
“I think that there’s a validation process that has to happen for Carlos. ‘Am I really No. 1 in the world?’ That was an unbelievable year. But hold on. There’s Holger Rune. There’s Djokovic. There is Daniil Medvedev.
“I mean, ‘what you’re putting me as No. 1 as a 19-year-old?’. So I think there’s going to be a bit of doubt there, and I think that you have to take care of that doubt by working really hard physically and mentally and really finding how he needs to play tennis when he is not feeling good.”
Warning sent to another rising star
Besides Alcaraz, Danish tennis sensation Holger Rune has also caught the attention of many on the Tour following his shock run to the Paris Masters title where he scored five consecutive wins over top-10 players. Now at a ranking high of No.11, the 19-year-old recently said during an interview with TV2 Sport that he believes reaching No.1 by the end of 2023 is a realistic goal.
However, Wilander believes Rune’s big aspirations for the new season could potentially be counterproductive if things don’t go his way.
“Rune said he’s going to be No. 1 in the world and this might generate disappointment, if it does not happen right away,” he said.
“Imagine if Casper [Ruud] would have gone out and said that last year. Then had this year where he made three finals. People would say ‘whoa, yeah, he can never, ever win a big tournament. There’s no chance, he’s lost three finals in one year.’
“So my first reaction would be to say it’s wrong and it’s dangerous [to say you will be No. 1], but if it motivates you as a player, then go ahead.”
As for improvements, the Swede believes Rune needs to work on how he conducts himself on the court. He can be at times very animated on the court which is a characteristic many players his age also have.
“He must probably have to clean up his body language slightly on court, which he will, because he’s only 19 and he’s an unbelievably quick learner, for sure,” he continued.
“I think it will help his tennis to be a little bit more settled and maybe neutral in terms of showing good vibes and bad vibes because other guys are going to start picking up on it and there’s going to be people in the crowd that some people are going to say ‘whoa, this is a bit unusual in a way’. But at the same time, the fight that he puts up is incredible. So we don’t really know.”
