Carlos Alcaraz is easily one of the hottest prospects in the tennis circuit right now. The teenage sensation has blown everyone’s mind with his sublime tennis in the last few months and people simply cannot stop talking about him. Although he had a rough start to his this year’s clay-court campaign at the Monte Carlo Masters, the 18-year-old will be keen to bounce back in Barcelona.
His ability to hold his nerves during tight situations proves that Alcaraz is matured beyond his years and his technicalities prove that he will only get better with more matches under his belt. he is someone definitely for the future but also for the present. Hence one of the tennis legends, Boris Becker feels that the young Spaniard may very well one day be the World No.1.
“It’s part of the job. You have to live with the defeats as well as possible. It’s a defeat, not death. You have to play one match after the other. It was a good first match on clay even if I have to prepare more on this surface.”
Carlos Alcaraz pic.twitter.com/LmfL657fQt
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) April 14, 2022
Alcaraz went down in the third round at the Australian Open after he kept fighting for a long time against Matteo Berrettini. He then bounced back with a win at the Rio Open beating the much more experienced Diego Schwartzman in the finals. Mexico was not his happy hunting ground but he once again bounced back at the Indian Wells. There he reached the finals and played some really good tennis en route to the title clash. However, he was beaten by a superior Rafael Nadal. Still, he carried that momentum into the Miami Open and there he had a terrific run as he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud to create history and become the youngest ever to lift the title at the Miami Open. But the recent campaign in Monte Carlo was far from his standards as he crashed out of the second round against Sebastian Korda as the Spaniard struggled to adapt with the conditions on the court in Monaco.
“Carlos Alcaraz has the mentality to not just be satisfied with semifinals, he is always looking to win,” Boris Becker opens up on the Spaniard
German legend Boris Becker feels that there are several reasons to believe that the Murcian native will be a future World No.1. Starting from the way he has conducted himself on the court against some of the top players is an indication. Then his all-round game that is effective on all surfaces is something required in tennis to stay relevant for long periods. However, Becker warned him of not getting too much swallowed by all the hype and the expectations from his fans.
Speaking to Eurosport’s ‘Das Gelbe Vom Ball’ podcast, Becker said: “If everything continues normally, then yes he can be world No. 1.”He’s only 18, but you only have to look at the way he’s played over the last six months.”
The six time Grand Slam winner shared how Alcaraz is not someone who will be happy with a semifinal appearance here and there. He also does not have the mentality of just playing the big players in the world. The young Spaniard pushes him always to win tournaments and he showed that in the Miami Open. “He went to Miami and just kept winning. He has the mentality to not just be satisfied with reaching a semi-final, or be playing the best players in the world – he wants to go further and [we saw that] by winning his first Masters title against a top opponent.”
But Boris Becker is not putting pressure on the teenager as the German understands that there are several factors that can affect a player’s ranking. Therefore Becker concluded, “So he can become No. 1, but anything can happen in sport.”
After the disappointment in Monte Carlo, Carlos Alcaraz will look to settle the scores at the Barcelona Open. With Rafael Nadal‘s absence, the young Spaniard will feel right at home as he looks to continue his preparations for the upcoming Roland Garros.
