Carlos Alcaraz backed by esteemed coach in bold 2024 Grand Slam claim

Respected tennis coach Rick Macci believes losing in the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open will be “the best thing ever” for Carlos Alcaraz.

Macci thinks the “painful stinging feeling” of missing out in New York will “ignite” Alcaraz and feels the Spaniard could win three Grand Slam titles in the 2024 season.

Alcaraz, who was the defending US Open champion, was defeated by world No 3 Medvedev in a pulsating four-set encounter in the last four of the hard-court major earlier this month. It was just his second defeat at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon last year.

The 20-year-old had won his two previous encounters with the Russian this year convincingly in straight sets – in the Indian Wells final and the Wimbledon semi-finals.

The Murcian overcame Casper Ruud in four sets in the final of last year’s US Open to claim his maiden Grand Slam crown. At the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in July, Alcaraz edged Novak Djokovic in a titanic five-set championship match to triumph. He became the first player to defeat the great Serbian in a completed match at the All England Club since 2016 and ended his 34-match winning streak at the event.

In a post on Twitter, Macci argued Alcaraz’s defeat at the final major event of 2023 will fuel him and suggested he could be dominant at the Grand Slams next year.

“The best thing ever for @carlosalcaraz was losing in the semis of the U.S OPEN. That painful stinging feeling will be a Priceless New York Gold Nugget in his back pocket for life and will IGNITE the Spanish Magician to bust through the Door and maybe grab 3 Slams in 2024,” predicted the American.

The best thing ever for @carlosalcaraz was losing in the semis of the U.S OPEN. That painful stinging feeling will be a Priceless New York Gold Nugget in his back pocket for life and will IGNITE the Spanish Magician to bust through the Door and maybe grab 3 Slams in 2024.

— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) September 24, 2023

Macci has worked with five players who achieved the world No 1 ranking in their careers: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick. The American also coached major champions Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin.

In a recent interview with Tennis-infinity.com, Macci discussed Alcaraz’s progress and declared that he could take tennis to a new level.

“I think he can win any tournament that he plays. But that being said, no one’s going undefeated. No one’s gonna win all the time. He’s gonna lose,” said the 68-year-old.

“Anything’s possible, especially in men’s tennis, because if someone’s serving big and hitting the corners, you get into a tie-breaker, anything’s possible.

“But he’s the leader in the clubhouse. And barring injury, this guy can go places that maybe we’ve never seen in the game of tennis. Anything’s possible with this guy.”

READ MORE: Timeline of when Carlos Alcaraz could take Novak Djokovic’s No 1 ranking