Carlos Alcaraz above the ‘Big 3’? John McEnroe makes his verdict clear on one key measure
John McEnroe believes Carlos Alcaraz is “one of the greatest things” that has ever happened to tennis.
Alcaraz won his first major at the age of 19, and he became the youngest player ever at 22 to complete the career Grand Slam at this year’s Australian Open.
The 23-year-old has seven Grand Slams to date, and after returning from a wrist injury, he seems destined to finish up as one of the all-time greats of the sport.
As he prepares to represent Team Europe at the 2026 Laver Cup, former world No 1 McEnroe has proclaimed the Spaniard as the “most complete” player at his age that he’s ever seen.
Novak Djokovic holds the men’s slam record at 24, but he took his time to become an almost unstoppable force, and Rafael Nadal, who ended with 22 majors, started as a clay monster before tailoring his game for all surfaces.
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The difference, according to seven-time slam champion McEnroe, is that Alcaraz was such an all-rounded player so early on.
He said on Served, “He’s the best I’ve ever seen at his age. He’s the most complete player at that age I’ve ever seen that can do absolutely everything. I mean, he’s right up there with these, you know, Roger [Federer].”
The American also believes that Alcaraz is the best thing to happen to tennis in the last decade. However, he won’t be cheering for him when the world No 3 takes on Team World this weekend in the Laver Cup.
McEnroe added, “He’s the greatest thing that’s happened to tennis in 10 years. Yeah, he’s fantastic. One of the greatest things that’s ever happened to tennis.
“Now, do I want him to win this weekend? Maybe not. He’s on the other side. I wish he was on the world side, but he isn’t. So you have to deal with that. But he’s an unbelievable asset to our sport.”
Alcaraz is a long way off the slam totals of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer (20), but some would not be too surprised to see him get close to those lofty tallies.
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