Tim Henman gives ‘mind-boggling’ verdict as he ponders Carlos Alcaraz’s Grand Slam haul
Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed he is eyeing up a push to eclipse Novak Djokovic’s record total of Grand Slam titles and now former British No 1 Tim Henman has given his verdict on whether he will get there.
Alcaraz won his fourth major at the tender age of 21 when he beat Djokovic in convincing fashion in this year’s Wimbledon final, taking his total to four majors on three different surfaces.
He also won the French Open title in June and will head into the US Open as one of the firm favourites, but how many major tiles can Alcaraz win in his career?
Djokovic has 24 Grand Slam titles on his remarkable record, while Rafael Nadal has 22 and Roger Federer has 20, with Alcaraz’s rapid start to his career sparking hopes that he could eventually get to those remarkable totals if he can stay fit over the next 15 years.
As one of the most respected voices in tennis, Henman’s views always carry plenty of weight and his praise for the young Spaniard was complete as he sat down for an exclusive interview.
“To have won four Slams on three different surfaces by the age of 21 is just mind-boggling,” Henman told Tennis365.
“With his game, how sound he is physically, technically and mentality, I think he will keep winning. He has such a good team around him and that’s vital at this age.
“It’s going to be so exciting to see how many majors he wins over the next decade and you could say the same thing about Sinner.
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“Other players will start winning majors as well and there is no doubt that what we have seen from Djokovic, Nadal and Federer has raised the bar of expectations.
“When I was playing and Pete Sampras won his 14th major, I would have said there is no chance anyone is going past that total for the foreseeable future.
“Now we have had three guys who have comfortably moved past his total, so you never know what is coming next.
“Alcaraz has spoken about getting to double digits in Grand Slams, so it’s all about one step at a time before we think about anyone challenging Djokovic’s record of 24.”
The emergence of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the men’s game has eased fears over what would come next when Federer, Nadal and Djokovic quit the sport, with Henman joining tennis fans around the world in expressing his excitement over what will come next.
“It’s inevitable when every generation that when the best players stop player, there is a concern about who is coming next,” added Henman.
“That is especially the case in tennis as three of the greatest players of all-time are stopping soon or have already stopped, in Federer’s case.
“There’s no doubt there is an element of nervousness in the sport and it’s not just on the men’s side. Venus and Serena (Williams) have been massive names in the women’s game and you start to look to the next generation.
“Tennis is fortunate that we have players like Alcaraz and the Sinner coming through who are so exciting. I think Holger Rune will look to get back up and join that conversation, along with Ben Shelton and hopefully Jack Draper can get in the mix.
“Iga Swiatek is the top player in the women’s game, Coco Gauff is so exciting to watch and let’s hope we can get (Emma) Raducanu back in the conversation.
“So the future is looking bright for the sport, even if some of the great names are no longer playing.
“As someone who is involved in the game and first and foremost a fan, it’s just massively exciting and I can’t wait to see how this generation unfolds.”
Alcaraz has won more majors at the age of 21 than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, so he will believe the chance is there for him to join the all-time greats before he hangs up his racket.
Vodafone, Official Connectivity Partner of Wimbledon, is working with Tim Henman to inspire the next generation of tennis players through Play Your Way To Wimbledon
