‘I Could Breathe Better’- 19-Year-Old Carlos Alcaraz Leaves American Opponent Choked as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic Comparison Made

Playing against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic is the dream of every tennis player. Many have hit the court against one or two of them but few have been able to have a face-off against all of them. However, the rising American tennis player, Taylor Fritz, has been one of the lucky few to go up against all three. But the one who left him desperate for air on the court isn’t one of them but Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.

Fritz finally had the chance to have a face-off with the US Open champion Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open. Considering that it was their first time, Fritz was unaware of what he was getting into.

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia leaves Taylor Fritz gasping for air

The American tennis player hit the headlines when he won the Indian Wells after defeating Rafael Nadal. However, he did not know at that point that Nadal was not going to be his only Spanish challenge. As it was fated, Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz Garfia had a face-off against each other at the Miami Open. But Alcaraz was not an easy opponent. He took down the American player in a clean straight-set victory.

Later on, during the post-match press conference, Fritz was in disbelief. He stated, “It’s impossible to keep up with his rhythm. I played the Big 3 and I could breathe better than against him…”

Fritz faced Djokovic last at the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals and lost in straight sets. As Federer was quite inactive before his retirement, he faced him in the third round of the Australian Open. Federer defeated him in a three-set match. Last, Fritz met Nadal in a match at the ATP World Tour Finals where he defeated the Spaniard in straight sets.

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Further elaborating on the dynamics of the differences between their games, he stated that he had more breathing room against the Big Three. He stated, “I think it’s different game styles.” Giving an example of world no. 1, he said, “Novak will have these long rallies, but he’ll kind of slowly get you out of position and overwhelm me. I still feel like I can hang in these rallies for a long time and get more chances to attack.” 

With one Grand Slam title under his name, Carlos has continued to raise the bar of tennis with his aggressive gameplay. And this time, it seems like Garfia was here to take memorable revenge for his idol.

Garfia made Fritz sweat more than Nadal could

Defeating Rafael Nadal for the first time must have felt unreal for the American tennis player. Especially when he did it in straight sets. This led his raw emotions to get out of his chest and Fritz did not hold back from crying while stating that it was “one of those crazy childhood dreams.”However, Garfia is someone who adores Nadal, and he definitely did not leave Fritz off the hook. Undoubtedly, Fritz has also noted the key points. Looking back upon his game, he realized Garfia’s offensive game had affected his shots.

He stated, “He just winner off of a lot of shots, that hurt me off of a lot of shots that people normally aren’t hurting me off of.” Conclusively, he stated, “Definitely less. I just felt he was more offensive and pressed me a lot more.” However, one fact that stays true is that he played the Big 3 when they crossed their 30s. Do you think if he had faced them before, he would have not found it as easy then? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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