Carlos Alcaraz has the talent to win Grand Slams and become ‘one of the best’, but ‘time will tell’
There is no doubt that Carlos Alcaraz has what it takes to become world No 1 and win Grand Slams, but former Spanish players David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo have pleaded for patience with the teenager.
Alcaraz has the tennis world at his feet after he won four titles – including two ATP Masters 1000 trophies – this year and rose to a career-high No 5 in the ATP Rankings. His latest rankings milestone saw him become the second-youngest player after fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal to reach the top five.
Former world No 3 Ferrer, who won 27 ATP Tour singles titles and finished runner-up to Nadal at the 2013 French Open, says the world is Alcaraz’s oyster.
Asked by Spain’s Super Deporte if he can become better than Ferrer and Nadal, Ferrer replied: “Alcaraz is a great player, and without a doubt he is going to be a much better tennis player than me, that is very clear to me.
“Nadal are big words. Carlos has to make his career, but I’m sure he’s going to reach No 1 and win Grand Slams, because mentally he’s a very well-established player.
“I know his team very well, from his representative Albert and his coaching staff with Juan Carlos Ferrero at the helm, who has also had the experience of being world No 1, and has very clear ideas.”
In an interview with Sportskeeda, Robredo – a former world No 5 with 12 ATP titles – believes the 19-year-old Alcaraz has all the tools to “dominate the sport for many years”.
“Carlos is a great player, talented, with a great team, and with huge expectations. Time will tell, but obviously, if everything goes well, he can be someone who dominates the sport for many years,” he said.
“But there are a lot of things that are not 100% certain such as health, other great players in the same generation, how he will manage and cope with the pressure. But I do think he has what it takes to be one of the best.”
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