Carlos Alcaraz has managed to reach the top of world tennis at the age of 19, proving that age is just a number when it comes to talent.
His arrival on the professional circuit at a time when the greats of the racket sport, such as the Swiss Roger Federer, are already saying goodbye to the competition; or how close figures such as the Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Spanish Rafael Nadal are to retiring, represents the continuity of the show at the highest level with new protagonists.
“Alcaraz is one of those types of exceptional players who have the abilities at such an early age of a consolidated player and a willingness to learn quickly, assimilate things and be very mentally balanced,” Argentine tennis player Javier Frana told El País.
A career on the rise
Carlos Alcaraz’s figuration in tennis was not the product of an accident or a stroke of luck. His first victory in a final draw occurred at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro in 2020, when he defeated his compatriot Albert Ramos (No. 52 in the ranking) 7-6, 4-6 and 7- 6.
In 2021 he achieved important victories and appearances such as the Australian Open, Madrid Master, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, until in July of that year he won his first ATP title by winning the Umag Tournament, after beating Richard Gasquet with a score of 6-2 and 6-2.
In the 2022 season it was the peak moment of the Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, when he won his first Grand Slam, the US Open on September 12, 2022, beating the Norwegian Casper Ruud in four sets 6-4, 2-6, 7- 6 and 6-3 and achieving first place in the ATP ranking at the age of 19.
What makes Alcaraz unique
Carlos Alcaraz must have something special so that at his young age today he is already recognized for his great talent and the center of attention in the world of tennis.
“I think that he is unique at this moment, because he has the intensity, the delivery and the sacrifice of Rafael Nadal, and the power in the blows of Roger Federer. Unquestionably, he is showing renewed tennis with a lot of physical capacity, ”commented coach Felipe Berón, one of the most outstanding in Colombia.
The Murcian is right-handed, like almost all tennis players on the ATP circuit. The ‘drive’ is his most powerful and decisive blow, not counting his two-handed backhand, something characteristic of the Spanish.
Injuries, his Achilles heel
Competing at the highest level also represents greater risks of injury and Carlos Alcaraz is not exempt from that.
“Injuries are always present and that cannot be avoided. What must be done is to work hard to recover hand in hand with science and to prevent discomfort so that this will not take its toll in the future”, said Professor Felipe Berón.
Only in the last time, the Spanish tennis player has suffered several discomforts that have taken him away from the fields in a year and a half.
The Argentine journalist Pablo Amalfitano comments in this regard: “The main weakness, without a doubt, is his physique. For his young age, he has already accumulated some injuries that have left him out of the circuit for several months ”.
The generational change in tennis
One of those called to lead the new generation of tennis players is undoubtedly Carlos Alcaraz. Along with him, several tennis players appear who little by little are located within the top 20 of the ATP ranking and become protagonists.
“I think that Alcaraz’s main rivals for the future could be Sinner, Rune, Auger Aliassime and Musetti, for example, as long as we talk about generational rivalry going forward. In the middle there are other players like Medvedev, Rublev, Tsitsipas or Zverev, who are already immersed in the big fight”, says Pablo Amalfitano.
Now, with the high level that Alcaraz is showing, it is common to begin to think that the 19-year-old from Murcia is the generational replacement of ‘Rafa’ Nadal.
“I think it would be very unfair to Carlos Alcaraz and to throw the responsibility at him and even start comparing him with ‘Rafa’ Nadal, because it is a complex parameter for a boy who is just making his own career, his own destiny and setting the bar so high it may not be good for him”, concludes Javier Frana.
In detail
Post-traumatic arthritis in his left hand and muscular discomfort in the spine are the ailments that currently afflict Carlos Alcaraz and that kept him away from the Monte Carlo tournament.
At the age of 14, Carlos Alcaraz achieved his first ATP point at the Murcia Futures.
His father, Carlos Alcaraz González, instilled in him a taste for tennis from an early age at the El Palmar Country Club.
On February 21, 2022, the young Spanish tennis player rose to the top 20 of the ATP ranking for the first time.
