What Carlos Alcaraz said about matching Djokovic, Nadal & Federer’s Grand Slam totals
Carlos Alcaraz has made his feelings clear on the prospect of becoming the fourth player to win 20 Grand Grand Slam titles after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The Spanish superstar, who turned 22 in May, has already won six Grand Slams, with his most recent triumph coming at the US Open last month.
Alcaraz has won the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open twice each. Tennis icon Bjorn Borg is the only other man to secure six majors at the age of 22 in the Open Era.
The world No 1 can become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam if he wins either of the next two editions of the Australian Open. Nadal is currently the youngest man to win each of the four majors, having won the 2010 US Open to complete the set at the age of 24.
Nadal won five Grand Slams before turning 23, while Federer and Djokovic each won one. Djokovic holds the all-time Grand Slam singles title record with 24, while Nadal and Federer are second and third on the men’s list with 22 and 20.
In an interview with Marca, Alcaraz was asked if he is aiming to finish his career with more than 20 Grand Slams given he has won more majors than any of the Big Three had managed when they were his age.
“If we look at the next 10 years, it’s a bit of a stretch… to be honest, yes (that is the goal),” said Alcaraz (translated from Spanish).
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“I don’t take anything for granted because every year is different. Players advance, new players emerge, and it’s more complicated.
“I hope it continues at this pace, but in tennis, you have to give your best every season, and that’s the most difficult part.”
Alcaraz also responded to the suggestion that the key to him overtaking Jannik Sinner to return to world No 1 was not thinking about it.
“I think so,” he said. “In the end, up until the US Open, I didn’t really think I was going to regain the number one spot. It was a goal, but it felt very far away. I wasn’t killing myself or eager to achieve it.
“Week after week, I was doing my part to keep moving forward and closing in on Jannik’s points. At the US Open, I realised that returning to number one depended on me.
“I didn’t try to put that pressure on myself. I played my good tennis until I finally got there. It’s something that has come with daily and weekly work, without having that desire.”
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