Fresh from his triumph at Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz is aiming for an encore on the grass at Wimbledon: Federer and beyond in his sights
Everyone’s crazy about Carlitos Alcaraz. After surprising the world in September 2022, when he triumphed at the US Open at just 19 and a half years old, and last year with the triumph at Wimbledon, the Iberian champion also took Roland Garros thanks to the last two comeback matches won against Jannik Sinner and Sascha Zverev.
Just when Rafa Nadal’s designated heir seemed, at the end of last season, to be in a bit of a decline, here is the champion’s push. Of the predestined. Of the one who, together with Jannik, is indicated by everyone as the generational talent capable of following in the footsteps of the Big Three.
How many times have we heard that the Iberian and the Italian are destined to dominate the world tennis scene for the next 10 years? However, ‘labels’ must be followed by facts and Carlos, at just 21 years of age, can already say that he has won 3 Slam titles. Out of as many finals played.
With the victory in Paris, Alcaraz has, among other things, become the youngest ever to win at least one Slam on three different surfaces after the aforementioned triumphs in 2022 and 2023. Is that enough for you? No. Because there could be one just around the corner yet another incredible record.
Alcaraz like Federer and Nadal, another record on the way?
If the Spanish phenomenon succeeds in winning – for the second time in a row – the Championships, he would enter an exclusive club made up of only 5 tennis players. These are those who, in the same season, were able to triumph in both Paris and London.
A restricted elite, which for example does not include acclaimed champions such as McEnroe, Sampras, Becker, Agassi. Well Carlitos now has this extraordinary possibility on his racket.
The first tennis player to succeed in winning the two central Majors of the season was the legendary Rod Laver, in 1969. The same year in which the Australian also achieved the Grand Slam by winning all the Slam tournaments in the same calendar year. Subsequently, for three years in a row – from 1979 to 1981 – it was Bjorn Borg to match the exploits of the great Australian tennis player.
In the modern era, the Big Three have also, in turn, entered the narrow circle of the chosen ones. Rafa Nadal he made the Paris-London pairing in both 2008 and 2010, while Roger Federer he succeeded in 2009. Novak Djokovic instead had to wait until 2021 – the year in which he even came close to the Grand Slam – to join the club of the greats.
