“We are very, very happy about reaching our goal,” Carlos Alcaraz said after guiding Team Europe to victory in the Laver Cup. With two consecutive victories, one in doubles, alongside Casper Ruud and one in singles against the US Open finalist, Taylor Fritz, Alcaraz showed his indomitable spirit in the event, solidifying his reputation as a skilled player. Although his current destination is the China Open, where he is set to face Tallon Griekspoor in the round-of-16 match, the tennis world is still buzzing with the echoes of his triumph in the Laver Cup. As fans and experts alike struggle to grasp his greatness, a retired pro, Mark Petchey, has made a stirring endorsement of the Spaniard.

On September 26th, the 54-year-old former player Petchey appeared on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, where he recapped the Laver Cup matches and discussed the players’ performances in the event. Inevitably, the conversation drifted to Alcaraz’s remarkable performance, where Petchey praised the 21-year-old player, saying, “I’ve decided to call him alchemist. He just turns the impossible into possible, he turns water into wine. He turns air into gold, you name it.”

Furthermore, the tennis commentator added, “The guy can transform a tennis match into either a spectacle, the way you can just watch his greatness and do the things that he does that very few players can or can turn an event like that absolutely on his head.” In his attempt to secure a victory against Fritz (6-2, 7-5), he seemed calm and poised on court, even though he later addressed it and admitted, “That means I’m a pretty good actor…. I was nervous.”

Moreover, when Carlos Alcaraz, who had previously expressed doubts about his gameplay on indoor courts, walked onto the Laver Cup tennis courts, he had already faced two consecutive early-round defeats. According to him, a prolonged break was necessary after his run to the final round in the Olympics.

Therefore, losing “energy” pushed him to a second-round defeat in the US Open, a tournament where he held the trophy in 2022. This was in complete contrast to the magic he showed at Wimbledon and the French Open (where he secured the titles) after coming back from a right arm injury. However, in little to no time, he bounced back in the Laver Cup, which, according to him, lifted his confidence. Yet, even during the China Open, he admitted that it was not “easy” for him to secure a victory.

Carlos Alcaraz on how he overcame his opponent’s big serves in the first round of the China Open

In just 81 minutes, Carlos Alcaraz showcased his powerful skills against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round in Beijing, finishing it 6-4, 6-4. However, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. “The plan was just to put as many returns as I can. Honestly, it wasn’t easy,” said Alcaraz who had to tackle his opponent’s big serves and big shots. As he tried to avoid too many “mistakes,” Alcaraz employed his “aggressive” gameplay in the match. 

Furthermore, he added, “In the first game of the match, I returned pretty well and played good points from the baseline. In the first game of the second set, he did three double faults, so it helped me a lot to break the serve. After that I had to be really focused for the next games, and I’m really happy I did it.”

Now, Alcaraz has secured a win/loss record of 44-9 this season and will soon be participating in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga and the Nitto ATP Finals. However, his current aim is to better his results in the China Open, where he fell short to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals in 2023. With his exceptional skills, he will not only silence critics, but he will certainly continue to earn more appreciation from the tennis world.