Although not physically, Carlos Alcaraz is very present in Rome, at the Foro Italico in which this Masters 1,000 is being held, which he has decided to skip to reach Roland Garros in full condition, the ‘Grand Slam’ that can definitively crown him, and even more so, as the heir to the so-called ‘Big-Three’ ‘, formed by the titans Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. Even without winning it.
There is no doubt that Nadal is still the star in Rome. The ten times that he has conquered the Italian clay courts credit him as the tennis player of the tournament, whether or not he is in his best condition. And the masses of people that he drags during his training in the Italian capital prove it.
But what Alcaraz, the sensation of the circuitnot physically in the Eternal City, has certainly helped to keep the ‘status quo’ of racket sport intact.
And it is that the whirlwind of El Palmar (Murcia), At just 19 years old, he has surpassed, without asking permission, the alleged heirs to the throne and has positioned himself as the next ‘chosen’ of this sport. And it is not something that he has deliberately sought, he has just accepted it naturally. The same one with which his rivals and teammates have done it.
Nadal already said it in Madrid: “He plays a lot with adrenaline and when it’s high there’s no one to stop him. He can beat any player in the world because he has a level”. And Djokovic confirmed it, also in the capital, before Zverev was full of praise after being run over in what was the shortest final in the history of Madrid.
But Rome will not be able to enjoy that adrenaline to which the Balearic refers. Nevertheless, It gives the feeling that Alcaraz is present in the tournament. This Monday, Tsitsipas and -again- Djokovic and Nadal, spoke of the already number 6 in the world ranking.
“Alcaraz is a source of inspiration for me, I would like to be like him. He is already doing very well and I know he can still grow more. The results show that he is now one of the strongest players in the world,” Tsitsipas said. at a press conference at the Foro Italico.
“His tennis is impressive, full of energy in every shot. He is very fast and has impressive reflexes, even in reading game situations.. He is hungry, as is often said in these cases, and surely he will also know how to manage the responsibilities that he will have from now on, “said the Greek.
The Serbian highlighted his character: “Alcaraz is special, he has broken many records being very young and has won two Masters this year (Miami and Madrid). He so far he is the best player in the world“.
“The way he handles pressure is incredible. It’s great to have someone young in tennis who challenges the best players and is humble at the same time. I wish him the best and hopefully meet him more times on different surfaces. He generates great energy on the slopes, that’s why he is so loved“, declared the number 1 in the world also at the Foro Italico.
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And finally his idol, Rafa Nadal, so that his victory against Zverev was something almost daily: “What Carlos did did not surprise me at all because it is nothing new. I had already won in Miami and honestly this is not a surprise.”
He is definitely the man of the moment.. His non-participation in the tournament in Rome was a serious setback for this tournament and its fans who will have to settle for seeing on the screen the one who, in the words of his idol, is the player that Spain can trust for many years years.
Alcaraz has achieved something impossible. Being in Rome without being. Yes he is in Rome, although not physically. And it is that in every corner of the venue of the Masters 1,000 in Rome there is talk of ‘Carlitos’, because they are talking about tennis.
