Carlos Alcaraz a bit of a ‘showman’, says Nick Kyrgios as he declares Spaniard’s meteoric rise ‘nuts’
Nick Kyrgios believes Carlos Alcaraz’s ability to get the crowd involved during matches is “pretty cool”, saying the world No 1 has “got that showman about him”.
Australian Kyrgios has for the past few years been one of the biggest showmen on the ATP Tour as he is known for making headlines – good and bad – due to his ability to go from the sublime to the ridiculous during matches.
One minute he will play a magical tweener and the next minute he will get involved in an argument with a member of the crowd, an official, his opponent and even members of his own player box.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is also known for producing extraordinary moments during matches and also gets the crowd involved, but unlike Kyrgios he doesn’t let his frustrations boil over as he does everything with a smile on his face.
Besides being an entertainer, the 20-year-old is already one of the best players on the Tour as he is currently ranked No 1 in the world and has won 11 titles – including his maiden Grand Slam at the US Open last year and four ATP Masters 1000 titles.
The Spaniard will be gunning for a second major as he is the second favourite behind defending champion Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon this year.
Kyrgios has spent most of the 2023 season on the sidelines due to injury, but he will be back in action at the grass-court- Grand Slam and he was asked during a press conference if he watched any tennis during his absence.
The 30th seed replied: “I wouldn’t watch too much tennis. There’s a couple players that I enjoy watching. If they’re playing, I might give a look at live scores. Every time Foe [Frances Tiafoe] is playing or Thanasi [Kokkinakis] is playing, or anyone like this, I like watching.
“‘Obviously Grand Slam finals. I watched a lot of the AO. Seeing what Alcaraz has been able to put together in such a short period of time is nuts. He’s got such discipline and he just loves the sport.
“He’s fun to watch. He’s got so much discipline and so much desire to do well, but he’s got that showman about him, as well, which I like. He loves getting the crowd involved. He loves getting people chanting his name, which is pretty cool.”
READ MORE: Spanish great on Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon dream and a showdown with Novak Djokovic
