Carlos Alcaraz has been crowned ‘the best player in the world’ after winning the Madrid Open, but is he the favorite at Roland-Garros ahead of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal? The 19-year-old beat Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open final to win his second title of the season and move up to sixth in the world rankings. But will he win his first Grand Slam in Paris?
After Carlos Alcaraz’ victory over Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Open semi-finals, a funny exchange took place when the 19-year-old was asked who was the best player in the world. “Well, Djokovic, because he is number 1”replied Alcaraz.
When asked again who the best player in the world is right now, Alcaraz replied: “I’m not going to tell you. The one I know, I won’t tell you. I was able to beat number 1, but I’m still ranked number 9. I still have eight players ahead of me to be number 1”.
Eight is now five after Alcaraz won their second league title in Madrid. And any debate over his current status in the men’s game seems less difficult to answer. “Right now you are the best player in the world”said Zverev after being outclassed by Alcaraz in the Madrid Open final.
Since losing his first game in Monte Carlo, 19-year-old Alcaraz has won 10 matches in a row to secure titles in Barcelona and Madrid. Even though he beat Nadal and Djokovic in Madrid, his demolition of Zverev is arguably Alcaraz’s most impressive performance. Zverev, who criticized the ATP after the fact for its programming “shameful” which kept him awake, won Madrid twice, including last year, and had never lost on the main court. He was completely overtaken by Alcaraz in a one-sided 62-minute finale.
The stats behind Alcaraz’s astonishing season are incredible:
- Youngest player to beat both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
- First player to beat Nadal and Djokovic in the same tournament on clay.
- Youngest top 10 player since Nadal in 2005
- Youngest top-20 player since Andrei Medvedev in 1993
- Second youngest player to win two Masters (Nadal, 18, in 2005)
- Youngest player to win five titles since Nadal in 2004-05
- Youngest player since 1990 to defeat three Top 5 players in a single tournament.
- A 5-0 record in the final
Is Alcaraz the big favorite for Roland-Garros?
There’s not much to say against him except that he hasn’t made it to a Grand Slam yet. He’s won a few long matches on the ATP Tour, including the two longest this year, but two-week majors with potential five-set battles against Nadal and Djokovic are another challenge. Alcaraz has only appeared in the main draw at five Grand Slams and has only made it past the third round once. Few players have won a major tournament on their sixth attempt, although Nadal did at Roland Garros in 2005.
What’s so impressive about Alcaraz is that his game already seems to have it all. When he started making waves last year, his raw power and attacking approach were noticed. Add to that the best drop on the circuit, quick movement on the court, a powerful net game and an intelligent mind, and you have a very good player. The power is still there – against Nadal and Djokovic he hit 88 winners against 34 for his opponents – but Alcaraz is also thinking more about how to earn points. He caused Djokovic big problems with his kick serve and was very successful on serve and volley in Madrid, winning 17 out of 18 points. He also has the will to keep improving.
“I think I still have to improve everything. I have always said that everything can be improved. We never reach a limit”he said after his victory in Madrid. “Look at Rafa, Djokovic, [Roger] Federer, they are all improving and they have things to improve. That’s why they’re so good, and that’s why they’re so often at the top of the leaderboard, because they don’t stop. They keep working and improving. That’s what I want to do. I want to keep progressing. I have very good shots. I’m not saying I don’t have them, but I know I can improve them and they can be even better.”
Just as players have had to come up with ways to try to beat Nadal and Djokovic in the past, the two greats will now have to consider how they can conquer Alcaraz. Neither will sit idly by after Madrid.
Nadal and Djokovic will face off this week in Rome, where one or both of them have reached the final every year since 2005, while Alcaraz will take a week off to prepare for the French Open. Nadal will be encouraged that he pushed Alcaraz in Madrid, even though he is coming back from a rib injury and the faster conditions don’t suit his game as much as in Rome and Paris. Djokovic appears to be on the right path and produced his best performances of the season before losing in three sets to Alcaraz. Had he converted more than just one of the six break points against the 19-year-old, the end result might have been different.
With Alcaraz being favorites at the French Open, their meteoric rise poses a serious threat to Djokovic and Nadal as they seek to win new Grand Slam titles. Nadal said he is “obvious” that there is now a changing of the guard following his loss to his fellow Spaniard, and Alcaraz could soon overtake Daniil Medvedev, Zverev and Tsitsipas as Djokovic and Nadal’s biggest rivals in major tournaments. It will be fascinating to see if world number 2 Medvedev, who returns from injury next week in Geneva, Tsitsipas, who is 0-3 against Alcaraz, and Zverev, who was talked about not so long ago as a member of the new “Big Three”, can counter.
All three have question marks ahead of Roland-Garros, while Alcaraz is brimming with confidence. “I think I’m ready to win a Grand Slam”, said Alcaraz after their victory in Madrid. “JI think I’m ready to go. It’s a goal for me this year, to try to win my first Grand Slam. I will work for that, we will see what will happen at Roland-Garros”.
Last year, Alcaraz became the youngest player since Djokovic in 2005 to win a match at Roland Garros, and the youngest player to reach the third round since 1992. If he wins in Paris this year, he will be the first teenager to win a Grand Slam title since Nadal’s victory at Roland Garros in 2005.
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Nicholas Depres
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