Carlos Alcaraz has seen his stock value rise to massive proportions this year owing to his massive successes at major ATP tournaments. There is a growing echo of opinions that the 20-year-old Spaniard is an apt successor to the ‘Big 3’– Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
While statistically speaking, Alcaraz is showcasing his ability to reach the highs that the three athletes achieved over the years, his game is drastically different in style from theirs. Each player possesses his own unique style of play, and Alcaraz feels that comparison between him and others is not his cup of tea.
Alcaraz speaks out on Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal’s influence
Carlos Alcaraz’s ability to sprint across the court and flummox opponents with baseline and drop shots in succession is his distinctive manner of play. While he does admit to being influenced by the strengths of the Big 3 such as Djokovic’s dominant defense, Federer’s ease in playing shots, and Nadal’s endurance, Carlos feels steadfast about carving his unique path to glory.
“I am Carlos and I don’t want to copy the style of any of the three. I don’t want to be the combination of any player. I want to feel 100% Carlos Alcaraz. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal they had a great influence on me and all the other tennis players,” Alcaraz said to the EFE news agency.
Alcaraz has been a mainstay at the top of the ATP rankings ever since he broke into the scene by winning the 2022 US Open. A Wimbledon title this year was added to his bag, and the lad from El Palmar in Spain has massive ambitions for the future.
As he completes his season in this calendar year, Alcaraz will look to mount a challenge for the Australian Open title next January. A major tennis figure expressed optimism for Alcaraz by predicting a successful future for him in 2024.
Rick Macci predicts Grand Slam success for Carlos Alcaraz
Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ former coach, took to Twitter to share his opinion on Alcaraz’s abilities and foresaw a formidable future for the young lad. Macci found no problem with Alcaraz’s failure to win tournaments in his last seven tries and said the stumbles will ‘motivate, educate and stimulate’ Alcaraz to win grand slams in 2024.
Carlos Alcaraz has admitted to struggling in indoor stadiums due to their closed atmosphere and found going tough in major tournaments post-US Open. His struggles have been well documented, and many have found faults in the Spaniard’s style of play.
However, Alcaraz is hopeful that the year-end layoff will give him the opportunity to make adjustments to his game, focusing on improving accuracy and strengthening his defense. These are two areas that he has struggled with recently.
Alcaraz was most recently seen in an exhibition match in Mexico, where his tweener winner went viral on social media and received applause from many fellow players. He will focus on flying back to Spain and taking a well-deserved rest ahead of the Christmas fortnight while strenuously rebuilding his strategy.
While some may see him or compare him to the big 3 of tennis, it is worth noting that Austrian coach Günter Bresnik believes that Alcaraz is fortunate to be sharing the stage with players like Nadal and Djokovic, let alone believing that ‘Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and maybe Murray played better at their best than Alcaraz is doing today’.
Do you consider Rick Macci’s prediction about Alcaraz winning Grand Slams in 2024 plausible? And what are your thoughts on Günter Bresnik? Please let us know in the comment section.
