Carlos Alcaraz is the talk of the town in the tennis universe at the moment. He shocked everyone by dethroning Novak Djokovic on the Centre Court of the Wimbledon Championships in a hard-fought battle. Very few people thought Alcaraz would emerge victorious against the 23-time Grand Slam Champion this Wimbledon considering he was beaten comfortably by the same opponent at the French Open.
But he let his racquet do the talking and prevailed over the seemingly invincible Djokovic in a five-set epic. Now Alcaraz has expressed his wish to emulate ‘The Big 3’. Fans and tennis commentators know that he has the potential to do that, but for that to be a reality, he has to maintain peak physical condition in the coming years amidst the hard grind of the ATP tour.
Alcaraz wants to be as successful as the ‘Big 3’
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Alcaraz played a highly mature Wimbledon final though he is just 20 years of age. He had a bad start to the game, having lost the first set 1-6. But something happened that infused life into his game, and he eventually ended up winning a tightly-contested match. According to Djokovic, he is the amalgamation of himself, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Having been compared to the three repeatedly, Alcaraz has said that he wants to win as many titles as them, or at least half of what they have achieved. At only 20, he has already won 2 Grand Slam titles.
Alcaraz said, “I hope to win as many titles as the three won(the Big 3)! I don’t know… Probably with half of what they got, I could be happy with it. So imagine… I hope to be at the same level as them.”
Carlos Alcaraz on his Grand Slam titles goal:
"I hope to win as many titles as the three won [the Big 3]! I don't know… Probably with half of what they got, I could be happy with it. So imagine… I hope to be at the same level as them."
(via @lequipe) pic.twitter.com/NRkY9bTxYR
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) July 21, 2023
It is great that Alcaraz dreams big, and gives the readers a glimpse into his warrior mindset of setting high goals for himself. Alcaraz has all the ingredients to win as many slams as the members of the big 3, but that is going to be an onerous task. But, is he capable of doing that?
Alcaraz’s injury woes this year
Alcaraz certainly looks unbeatable when he plays his best. But one cannot always play at his best. He learned it the hard way in the Roland Garros final this year as he suffered from cramps. A key factor to maintain consistency in a game like tennis is fitness.
Alcaraz’s? vulnerability was seen in the Australian Open too when he decided to pull out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
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Alcaraz possesses awe-inspiring talent, but at the same time, he must also be cautious not to get entangled in fitness issues as that might prove detrimental to his career.
The 20-year-old is a complete player and he can also adapt to surfaces that are alien to his natural game. Djokovic also admitted to the fact that he was taken aback by how well and how quickly Alcaraz could adapt to grass.
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The young Spanish player is a breath of fresh air in the tennis world. However, can Alcaraz end up as one of the all-time greats or emulate The Big 3 in tennis? Only time will tell.? Let us know your thoughts on Alcaraz in the comments section below.
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