“I think he’s reached about 60 percent of his chances,” said Ferrero after his protégé’s 6:4 2:6 7:6 (7/1) 6:3 win in the final against the Norwegian Casper Ruud in New York. Alcaraz is already incredibly good as a teenager. After the dramatic quarterfinals, in which he and Italian Jannik Sinner, who was only two years his senior, fought each other at the highest level for more than five hours, John McEnroe enthused: “The two are currently redefining the sport and taking it to a new level.”
US tennis legend McEnroe compared Alcaraz to all three great players of the recent past. “He has the light-footedness and aggressiveness of Federer, the agility and stamina of Djokovic, and the fighting spirit and attitude of Nadal.” If he continues even remotely like this, there are few limits for him.
enthusiasm and nerves of steel
In addition, Alcaraz has everything it takes to become a crowd favourite. In any case, he has already fully convinced the New Yorkers with his performances. A scene in the finale on Sunday impressively illustrates why he is so well received. He delivered a spectacular rally against Ruud, at the end of which he dived and played the ball wide under great pressure. Alcaraz lay on the ground – and laughed. Despite all his ambition and professionalism, he radiates a joy in playing that makes it a pleasure to watch him.
Alcaraz number one in the world rankings
The 19-year-old US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz is a super talent and has also been number one in the world rankings since Monday. However, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero does not see the Spaniard at the peak of his potential.
That’s exactly why he seems to be able to deal well with the pressure and the immense expectations. In addition, Alcaraz has the priceless ability, which can only be learned to a limited extent, to be able to step up again at decisive moments. He does not wait for his opponent to make mistakes, but boldly takes the initiative.
Meteoric rise
Just a year ago, Alcaraz was number 55 in the world when he was already the best teenager. He himself would not have thought that things would improve so quickly: “After the title in Miami on hard court, I began to believe that I could not only play well, but even become champion.”
Ferrero also saw early on what could be possible for his young compatriot. “When he came to my academy at the age of 15, it was clear that he was different from his peers,” recalls the 42-year-old, who won the French Open in Paris in 2003 and became number one in the same year. “He was explosive, had fast hands, fast legs.” Ferrero laughs. “But he was thin – like spaghetti. It still needed a lot of work. But he is made for this stage, a great competitor.”
Nadal record still a long way off
Nadal, with 22 Grand Slam tournament victories record holder ahead of Djokovic (21) and Federer (20) – congratulated his 17-year-old compatriot and predicted: “I’m sure there will be many more to come.” Ferrero does not want to make a forecast auction “22 Grand Slam titles? He still has a long way to go. But who knows? He certainly has the tennis and the potential to be one of the best.”
But McEnroe also warned: “We have to be careful now that we don’t raise expectations so much that you would end up being disappointed if he ‘only’ wins ten Grand Slams.” But it’s probably too late for that – who the strengths of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic united is also measured by them.
Characteristics of Carlos Alcaraz
- Name: Carlos Alcaraz Garfia
- Nationality: Spain
- Born on May 5th, 2003 in El Palmar – Place of residence: Villena
- Height/Weight: 1.83m/74kg
- Trainer: Juan Carlos Ferrero
- Playing hand: Right, two-handed backhand
- Pro since 2018
- Greatest achievements: One major success (US Open 2022), six tournament wins
- Current world ranking: 1 (youngest ever number one at 19 years and four months)
- Career prize money: $9.1 million
