Wilander: “Alcaraz could be the most important player ever”
The former Swedish player said to Eurosport that teen star Carlos Alcaraz has created an unmatched atmosphere in world tennis.
Can Carlos Alcaraz be as great as the Big Three? That’s the question many tennis and sports fans were making to themselves when they saw the Spaniard star lift the US Open at the age of 19 and become the youngest World No. 1 ever.
According to seven-time major winner Mats Wilander, the Murcia native can certainly be bigger than tennis greats such as Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal, not only because of his potential accomplishments but also based on the impact he generates every time he goes out into the court with his style of game and attitude.
“For me to see Alcaraz winning the US Open was probably the most exciting tournament that I’ve seen in the 20+ years that I’ve worked in TV or media as an analyst”, he said to Eurosport.
“I have said that I think if Alcaraz can keep winning - and I’ve even told [Alcaraz’s coach] Juan Carlos Ferrero this in private - he could turn out to be the single most important tennis player that we have ever had in our sport”, he added.
Alcaraz: all-around game at 19
Considered to be Rafa Nadal’s successor and tennis’ brightest jewel, Alcaraz raised his level considerably over the last year, with significant wins on hard and clay courts.
While in 2021 he won his first ATP title in Umag, and in 2022 he leveled up by winning a major and four tournaments (US Open, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Barcelona, and Madrid).
His powerful drive and backhand, together with his unique drop shots and his fighting spirit make Alcaraz a very complete player already at age 19.
“Here you have a guy who is trying so hard, he is so fast, he is playing with so many different shots, and he’s serving and volleying at 15-30. He’s 19 years old! He’s hitting drop shots at 15-30, he’s 19 years old! Then he dives, and at the end of it, he’s smiling and he’s laughing”, Wilander added.
While tennis lovers were waiting for the Australian Open to arrive and see Carlitos back into action, the young star recently announced he would miss the first major of the calendar due to injury.