Carlos Alcaraz leading the way for the next generation

ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz in action

Former world No 1 Chris Evert believes that Carlos Alcaraz will be a player who raises the level of the game as a whole.

Evert believes Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev will need to lift their game to compete with Alcaraz.

She said that Alcaraz will be tough to stop, but his style means that he will be involved in many great matches.

Evert was left in awe of Alcaraz in the first third of the season.

Alcaraz didn’t drop a set on his way to winning the title.

“I’m in awe when I watch him, I’m flabbergasted,” Evert told Eurosport.

“I’m just in disbelief at how well he moves, and how he improvises and adapts to certain situations.

“I think we’re seeing a new level, a higher level of tennis.

“You always think you’ve seen the greatest with Roger and Rafa and Novak, but every decade it just seems like there appears a player that is at even a higher level than the former champion.”

Alcaraz has already had some great matches against Sinner in particular and became the first man to defeat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back-to-back on clay last term.

Evert believes he will continue to entertain and to elevate the game.

She believes that he has come along just at the right moment to inspire a great new generation.

Evert backed Alcaraz to win titles on multiple surfaces and possibly clinch a career Grand Slam.

“I think he will bring the level up of Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev and the players that are going to be the new leaders in the men’s game,” she said.

“I think Carlos will improve their game because they’re going to have to play better than their best when they play him if they want to beat him. He’s not unbeatable by any means, but at his best, he is.

“Before we had high hopes for Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem and Medvedev, and we had high hopes for other top players that were younger, but it never really came to fruition where they would be in the class of Novak and Rafa. I think now, Carlos is in that class. He is right up there with them.

“I look forward, as a fan, to the matches where Carlos plays Rafa – I mean, how would you like to see them play on clay at the French Open, and Carlos plays Djokovic? I think those matches are going to be incredibly electric and we’re going to see an even higher level of tennis. So if anything, he will even improve their games, maybe because he’s such a big talent.

“He is a multi-surface guy. I see him doing great on grass. I mean, look at Nadal winning Wimbledon. Why can’t Carlos? That’s obvious to me, the fact that on any surface he can excel and he can win major titles.”

READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz says experience has been a difference-maker

Carlos Alcaraz

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