Boris Becker issues warning about Carlos Alcaraz and reveals Rafael Nadal quality ‘no other athlete’ will match
Tennis icon Boris Becker has described Carlos Alcaraz as the “most exciting” player in the world” as he revealed why he feels people must be careful not to judge the Spaniard so harshly.
Alcaraz missed the Madrid Masters due to injuries he suffered in his defeat to Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open final.
The world No 3 started his clay season by winning the Monte Carlo Masters, and he is aiming to return to action at the Italian Open.
The 22-year-old, who has won four Grand Slam titles, has been compared with his legendary Spanish compatriot Rafael Nadal since his meteoric rise to the top of tennis.
In an interview with El Mundo, Becker was asked about Alcaraz having the difficult role of being seen as Nadal’s successor.
“That’s a very difficult pressure to bear because there’s only one Rafa and there will only ever be one,” said the six-time major champion.
“That said, Carlos is leaving his own mark in his own way. He’s still very young and his best is yet to come, but it’s impossible to predict how long a tennis player will remain at the top.
“I hope Carlos plays for 10 or 15 more years because for me he’s the most exciting tennis player in the world right now, but Spaniards, especially journalists, have to be careful and not judge him so harshly every time he loses a match because he’s a very different player than Nadal was.
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“Carlos has more natural talent, but Rafa’s heart hasn’t been, nor will any other athlete in history have.
“Carlos is fantastic, Novak [Djokovic] and Roger [Federer] are legends, but Rafa was on a different level of competitiveness. If you saw yourself crossing paths with Nadal in a tournament… Good luck, my friend.”
Alcaraz has revealed he considered taking a break from tennis after his opening match loss to David Goffin at the Miami Open.
Speaking on an episode of his podcast with Andrea Petkovic last month, Becker addressed Alcaraz’s struggles and asserted that the Spaniard needed to be protected better by his team.
“We’re talking about a 21-year-old who couldn’t cope with the expectations and the pressure anymore,” said the former world No 1. “We’re talking about mental health.
“Someone like that almost reached the point of depression. So those around him have to ask themselves: haven’t we done something wrong? Demanding too much of such a young player? He almost has to act like a machine… at 21 it’s hard to say no.
“We’re talking about a 21-year-old who couldn’t cope with the expectations and the pressure anymore,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion. “We’re talking about mental health.
“Someone like that almost reached the point of depression. So those around him have to ask themselves: haven’t we done something wrong? Demanding too much of such a young player? He almost has to act like a machine… at 21 it’s hard to say no.
“He’s the most spectacular player on the tour right now, he gets the most spectators in, has the largest fanbase, but he can’t play every week.”
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