Why Carlos Alcaraz is already part of the GOAT debate in tennis – even if Novak Djokovic fans won’t agree
Has Carlos Alcaraz edged himself into the debate over who should be hailed as the greatest player of all-time in men’s tennis?
It is a question that has never been asked of a 22-year-old in the history of the sport, but Alcaraz is a talent who cannot just be described as generational, as he is already so much more than that.
Alcaraz’s incredible achievements ensure that he is not just a legend in this generation of the sport, but also an icon who would be installed into the International Tennis Hall of Fame even if he didn’t strike another ball for the rest of his career.
His seventh Grand Slam win at the Australian Open allowed him to complete his career Grand Slam collection, as he added the trophy in Melbourne to his wins at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Of course, he is many years away from matching the achievements of the greatest players of all-time, with Novak Djokovic in a league of his own as he has 24 Grand Slam titles, more ATP 1000 titles than any other players and many more weeks at world No 1.
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Despite those staggering statistics, Alcaraz’s win against Djokovic in the Australian Open final inspired some observers to suggest the young Spaniard is playing tennis at a level Djokovic has never reached.
His athleticism, his flawless game and his energy on the court are putting him in the discussion over the greatest player ever, with Djokovic giving his opinion on Alcaraz after his defeat in Melbourne.
“The results are a testament to his already stellar career. He deserves every bit of the praise that he gets,” said the 38-year-old.
“He is already a legendary tennis player that made already a huge mark in the history books of tennis. Everything is possible in his case, no question about it.”
We might have to wait a decade to see if Alcaraz will have a shot at dethroning Djokovic as the greatest male player to ever pick up a racket, but he has secured his place in history by becoming the youngest player of all-time to win all four Grand Slams.
Given the magnificence of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as they transcended the tennis world during their two decades at the top of the sport, it is hard to believe anyone is suggesting a young players has come along so soon after that golden era and taken tennis to the next level.
Yet that was the view of former world No 1 Mats Wilander, when he spoke to Tennis365 at Roland Garros last year.
“Sinner and Alcaraz have taken the game to the next level for a few reasons,” Wilander told us.
“I’ve seen players hit the ball harder than Jannik, but not a guy who hits it this hard and takes it this early. Sinner is the real deal, there’s no doubt about it.
“The combination of taking it early and hitting it that hard is what is so incredible with Sinner. It is much more difficult to hit that hard and that consistently when you take it so early.
“We have seen a lot of guys standing three metres behind the baseline on a clay court and smacking it hard, as they have time to line the ball up and get that connection on it.
“Sinner is not doing that. He is standing up on the baseline, he is hitting the ball so hard and I’ve never seen anyone in my time in tennis who has that combination of hitting the ball so hard and taking it so early.
“Then you look at Alcaraz and it feels to me like this is another level. It doesn’t mean that they are better than Federer at his best, or Nadal and Djokovic at their best.
“Maybe they make more mistakes, but the game is faster. They make more mistakes than Djokovic and Nadal when they were at their best and that’s why it’s so hard to compare the different eras.
“You need to bring Nadal’s mindset into this discussion. You need to bring in Djokovic’s ability to figure out what is going on and giving what they don’t want.
“That’s why I like Novak hanging around and trying to test himself against these guys.”
The intriguing part about this debate is that there is never a clear answer, with those who believe greatness can only be judged by title wins have good evidence to put Djokovic in place as the ultimate king of tennis.
Yet Alcaraz has now achieved something he can never match after winning all four Grand Slams quicker than anyone else and if he continues collecting Grand Slam titles at the rate he has done so far in his career, the Spaniard will be closing in on 20 Grand Slam titles long before his 30th birthday.
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