Carlos Alcaraz will be one of the most anticipated players when the 2023 Australian Open kicks off. The 19-year-old Spaniard wowed everyone in 2022, clinching the US Open and becoming the youngest No. 1 in men’s tennis history.
As if that weren’t enough, the Murciano also won two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid) and as many ATP 500 (Rio and Barcelona). Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé embellished his season by beating two sacred monsters in Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the Mutua Madrid Open, further testimony to his enormous potential.
Some physical problems prevented ‘Carlitos’ from expressing himself at his best in the last part of the season, having forced him to miss the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup finals in Malaga. The Iberian is working hard to get back in shape and will not participate in any official tournaments before the Australian Open.
In the latest edition of the podcast hosted by Craig Shapiro, former ATP number 6 Nicolas Lapentti analyzed Alcaraz’s prospects in detail.
Lapentti praises Alcaraz
Retired since 2011 and former 6th player in the world, Nicolas Lapentti recently spoke in Craig Shapiro’s podcast on the future of Carlos Alcaraz, who is constantly compared to members of the Big 3 such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
And for the Ecuadorian, if Carlitos wants to join them in the hierarchy, he will absolutely have to stay healthy. “The big question is whether he (Carlos Alcaraz) will be able to win as many Grand Slams as these three guys (Nadal, Federer and Djokovic).
Everything will depend on his health. Will he be able to stay healthy for the next 15–18 years? We never know. Will he be able to stay mentally strong for the next 15 years? It’s crazy, but we’ll see. We’ll have to talk about it again in ten years to see how it’s doing.
Alcaraz has it all, that’s for sure. Be 19 years old and play at the level he plays. It’s mainly in the head to play under this pressure and to be so efficient, it’s great.” Tennis commentator Robbie Koenig has recalled his early impressions of Carlos Alcaraz and expressed his surprise at how quickly he rose to the top.
“My Luke had played against Lorenzo Musetti and I commentated on him in the junior Aussie Open final. I was speaking about how good Lorenzo was as a junior and he (Luke) says, ‘He’s good but I am telling you I am practicing with this other kid in Spain, Carlos Alcaraz, and this kid is even better.’ ”
