Carlos Alcaraz is the best player on the planet right now. Photo: Getty Images/Oscar J. Barroso
Spanish tennis fans are truly blessed. For the past decade and a half, they have been celebrating a man considered by many, especially in Madrid, to be the greatest man of all time. And now, as Rafael Nadal's body approaches him, Carlos Alcaraz comes into view.
Nadal's fate is still unknown, but insiders suggest he will miss the French Open this year for sentimental reasons. He will only play if he is sure that he is physically ready to fight for a mind-blowing 15th title at Roland Garros.
As a result, Nadal's rivals expect him to miss the clay court season while he tries to work out his ongoing hip problem. Novak Djokovic has also struggled with pain in his right elbow – and rumor has it that his shoulder hurts as well (possibly the result of heavy balls that have given many players wrist, elbow and shoulder problems this season). ).
All of this makes Alcaraz — a muscular 19-year-old whose P26 W24 record is the best on the tour this season — a bookmaker's favorite to extend his Major winning streak. (To be clear, he won the first Grand Slam in New York in September, but missed the Australian Open in January due to a hip injury.)
And this verdict is echoed by Andy Murray, who declares himself a fan of Alcaraz's action style. «He's really stepped up,» Murray said last week in Madrid, «and he's betting on being the next best player in the world for the foreseeable future. I don't see anyone currently challenging this level.
“There is a huge opportunity for young guys right now,” Murray added. “If you look at your Monte Carlos, Rome and the French Open, whether it's Rafa or Novak, one of them has won those tournaments. At the moment there aren't any, or of course they don't compete that much. I hope Rafa is in shape [for Roland Garros], but what's coming out now doesn't sound too good.
, it becomes easier if you are playing against someone who has never won a major tournament before. Unlike the guys who did it 22 times and you probably watched all your life growing up.”
The Spaniard has a feature-packed game that's getting the crowd excited. A month ago, Telegraph Sport pointed out that he has yet to beat Nadal or Djokovic in a major. But it's hardly his fault. Nadal was an occasional guest on the tour, and scheduling vagaries mean Djokovic hasn't competed with Alcaraz since November's Paris Masters.
None of this has stopped Alcaraz from garnering attention we haven't seen since Nadal was a teenager. When he faced Emil Ruusuvuori on Friday night at Madrid's Caja Magica stadium — in his first ATP match in Spain since he became the title champion — the entire site lit up with an energy that hadn't been there in the previous four days.
< br />During Alcaraz's pre-match practice, the sprawling ninth court was filled with more than any of the actual playing fields. When he entered the main stadium, people crowded around the railing to take pictures. And when he stole a point in an extraordinary series of searches, the crowd of 12,500 gave a standing ovation.
The air around Alcaraz now feels like electricity is rising before a storm. You have a feeling when you look at a person who will grow into a true sports legend. When he spanked one sonic boom of the winning forehand against Ruusuvuori, I saw people turn to each other and laugh, a reaction I've only seen from the stands before when other superhumans like Usain Bolt or Simone Biles perform. The expression on the fans' faces said, «I'm glad we bought these tickets because we saw this guy when he was still on the rise.»
In fact, Alcaras worked hard on the match against Ruusuvuori. Baffled by the unique conditions of Madrid's highlands, he sprayed the ball wildly in the first set, which he lost 6-2, and then got five break points in the second. He later described it as virtual match points for Ruusuvuori.
But one of the strongest arguments for the future greatness of Carlitos — as the Spanish believers call it — is that he manages to get the best material when he needs it the most. That, and their impeccable technique, is what separated the so-called «Big Three» from the crowd. Alcaraz played his break points flawlessly and then got his adrenaline pumping, winning 10 of his last 13 games to complete his 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
It's easy. forget how young Alcaraz is. When he sacked Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Barcelona final last Sunday, it was the first time he had successfully defended the title. Now he wants to repeat this trick in Madrid. If he succeeds, he might even be tempted to skip Rome — the last clay court formation in the sequence — before turning his attention to Paris. The 16th district, where Roland Garros takes place, may remain a Spanish enclave for many years to come.
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