Alcaraz and the club of the chosen
Carlitos Alcaraz has joined the select group of Spanish talents who have reached the pinnacle of world tennis. Including him, there are now six tennis players who have seen their name topping the ATP or WTA rankings. He was preceded by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (12 weeks), Carlos Moyà (2 weeks), Juan Carlos Ferrero (8 weeks), Rafael Nadal (209 weeks), and Garbiñe Muguruza (4 weeks).
In the men’s category, Spain has four number ones- the second biggest number of ATP leaders behind the United States’ six, and ahead of Sweden, Australia and Russia, who all have three each. Among women there are two- tied with Germany, Belgium, Australia and Russia, behind the eight of the United States and Serbia’s three.
If you compare Spain to these countries, both in terms of population and economic resources, you can see how this makes the country a case study. Spain continues to be the great tennis school of the world. The academies of Ferrero and Nadal, where Alcaraz and Ruud, both finalists of Miami and the US Open this year, have been formed, are a good example of this.
But they are not the only ones: We must pay tribute to the dedicated Spanish coaches who have formed many tennis players on the circuit, as well as to the clubs and federations where the stars of the future are built. A structure that has also been hit hard by the economic crisis and the pandemic.
But let’s go back to Carlitos, the most consummate tennis player who has ever been seen at his age. For the speed of his movements on the court, the velocity and force he generates with his smashes, the finesse of his hand that can get creative with his angles, lobs, drop shots and volleys that seem almost impossible to execute, his constant aggressiveness that pressures his rivals without thought, the quality of his consistency in challenging exchanges, his ability to handle the pressure in crucial moments and to have fun on the court.
He is a chosen one. An extremely gifted athlete. A player with an almost infinite repertoire of strokes and a huge ambition, who improves at a dizzying pace with humility and a lot of work. His records at such an early age herald a staggering potential.