21 years old and 4 grand slams already to his name, quite an impressive portfolio that Carlos Alcaraz has built for himself. Right after the Big 3 era came to an end, the Spaniard took over and is now on track to build his own legacy. However, with success come expectations as well. How does Alcaraz manage it all? The young prodigy had had his own fair share of disappointments and turmoil. Despite this, he keeps pushing himself beyond limits.

Currently playing at the Laver Cup, the Spaniard talked to the press after defeating Ben Shelton in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Questioning him about his rivalry with the top star Jannik Sinner, a reporter asked: “Carlos, you’re 21 years old, you’re, let’s say, a Hall of Famer already. Are you sometimes scared that you’ll lose motivation? Or how do you find yourself staying motivated?”

Replying to that, the Spaniard said, “Well, honestly it is difficult. I mean, sometimes I don’t feel motivated at all, and it is a difficult moment. I mean, as I said many, many times, the calendar is so tight—there are a lot of tournaments and not as many days off as I want. Sometimes I really want to take some days for myself, but I can’t because I have to practice, I have to travel, and the jet lag from traveling around the world is tough.”

Alcaraz further added that there have been moments when he does not even want to go to the events but rather wants to spend quality time with his family and friends. However, that’s not possible for him given his stature as a top player and the mandatory tournaments that they have to attend throughout the year. 

Interestingly, the Laver Cup will be Alcaraz’s 14th event this year (a year where he has won 2 grand slam titles and one title at the Indian Wells). With a few more events lined up, he already has a lot on his plate. But, he is not the only one who thinks this way. His teammate at the Laver Cup, Alexander Zverev also came forward and expressed his frustration owing to ATP’s negligence of a tight schedule.

“Ok, I’ll listen to you and we’ll boycott. We stop competing, we’ll boycott, and what? Do you think that’s going to change anything? We’d lose money,” said Zverev in an angry response to the reporter after being asked about the scheduling issues.

However, this is not the only remark Zverev made at this year’s Laver Cup. He also talked about Carlos Alcaraz and how much respect and admiration he has for the Spaniard.

Alexander Zverev terms Carlos Alcaraz as a ‘legend’

“Don’t mind me because you are 12 years old and I shouldn’t tell you so many nice things,” this is how Alexander Zverev teased Carlos Alcaraz during a press conference at the Laver Cup. However, he was quick to acknowledge the impact that the Spaniard has created on the circuit and suggested that he is already a ‘legend‘ of the sport. “It’s a privilege to share the court with a legend of our sport. From now on, it will only grow,” Zverev added.

What made things even more special was the fact that Zverev made an astonishing Roger Federer comparison with Alcaraz. Having shared the stage with the legendary Swiss icon, he suggested that playing with Alcaraz makes him feel the same way.

While the two have had some of the most ground-breaking encounters while playing against each other, now playing with each other clearly means a lot to the German star. Talking about their head-to-head stats, they are tied at 5-5 each, with many more encounters on the cards in the future. How many Grand Slams do you think will Carlos Alcaraz win? And is he already a tennis legend as Zverev claimed? Do let us know in the comments below!