The explosion of Carlos Alcaraz has brought tennis into a new era, also thanks to the painful retirements of Roger Federer and Serena Williams. The 19-year-old Spaniard left everyone speechless last year, winning the US Open and becoming the youngest number 1 in the history of men’s tennis.
As if that weren’t enough, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil won two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid) and as many ATP 500 (Rio and Barcelona). Many believe that the Murciano will become a global icon, thanks to his innate charisma and a very spectacular style of play.
The last few months have not been easy for ‘Carlitos’, who has had to deal with several injuries. A leg injury sustained in training forced him to miss the Australian Open, also causing him to lose the first position in the ATP ranking.
To oust him from the throne after 20 weeks of reign was Novak Djokovic, able to impose himself for the tenth time ‘Down Under’ The Serbian lost only one set in the whole tournament. Top seed Alcaraz will lock horns with Dusan Lajovic in the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open on Friday.
Mark Petchey reflects on Alcaraz
Opinions are divided on Carlos Alcaraz and some specialists consider that the game offered by the Spaniard is unique. Consisting of speed, power and endurance, Carlos embodies, according to them, a total tennis that we have never seen on the modern circuit.
This is what, for example, Mark Petchey thinks. “I don’t believe @carlosalcaraz is a 20 time Major Champion as this number has become become ‘normalised’. He may not win 10. However, just like Bjorn Borg, I do believe he will be one of the most influential tennis players the game has ever had with the way he plays.” Carlos Alcaraz was surprised to witness a heavily packed audience in attendance for his first match at the Argentina Open.
“I didn’t expect such a great crowd, a great atmosphere behind me. So I just can say thank you to all the fans here in Buenos Aires for the warm welcome that I received in this first match and I hope to keep going with this energy,” he said after the match.
“It’s a great feeling to win again. It’s been a long time for me with no competition, with no matches, just recovering. Finally I got my first win of 2023,” expressed the 19-year-old. “Missed this SO MUCH! What a night and what energy you gave me! Dale @argentinaopentennis,” Alcaraz captioned his Instagram post.
