Carlos Alcaraz sent warning and told ‘the hardest part has just begun’ by former world No 1
Tennis great Mats Wilander has warned Carlos Alcaraz that “the hardest part has just begun” given the Spaniard’s incredible success at a young age.
The former world No 1 highlighted the fact he and his fellow Swedish legend Bjorn Borg “broke down and almost ended our careers” in their mid-20s after hitting remarkable early heights.
Alcaraz‘s triumph at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships made him the third youngest man to win four Grand Slam titles after Wilander and Borg.
The Spaniard became the youngest man to attain the ATP world No 1 ranking after winning his maiden Major at the 2022 US Open at the age of 19.
The 21-year-old added his second and third Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2023 and Roland Garros this year, before he defended his All England Club crown earlier this month.
Borg won the last of his 11 Grand Slam titles at the age of 25, while Wilander was just 24 when he secured his seventh and final Major.
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Alcaraz can break Rafael Nadal‘s record to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam if he wins any of the next three editions of the Australian Open.
Wilander, who played professionally between 1981 and 1996, feels Alcaraz’s toughest challenges lie ahead despite the amazing start the Spaniard has had to his career.
“Carlos Alcaraz is now the third youngest player to win four Grand Slams, behind me and Bjorn Borg,” the Swede told L’Equipe. “But what happened to us? At 25, Bjorn and I broke down and almost ended our careers.
“Tennis was no longer the most important thing in our lives. That’s why I think the next five or six years will be crucial for him.
“It’s not so surprising that he won at a very young age: he was already very strong mentally when he was a kid, then a teenager. But this Wimbledon title is an explosion.
“It’s as if the hardest part has just begun for him. In fact, he should almost not react to this achievement. He should not realise what he’s accomplishing.
“He’s going to have to answer a whole bunch of questions: What do I want to accomplish? Win as many Grand Slams as possible? Stay No 1 for fifteen years in a row? Still be competitive at 37? Achieve the calendar Grand Slam?”
The three-time French Open champion added: “Carlos has already achieved the highest goals. It doesn’t make much sense to talk to him in terms of goals.
“That’s why he absolutely has to stay in the present and not project himself. That could make him dizzy. It’s also the responsibility of the tennis world to leave him in that state.
“To talk to him about his fantastic victory today, or his fabulous drop shot on a break point, not about his ability to reach the 30 Grand Slam titles mark. We have to help him stay as fresh as possible, to always love tennis like a kid.
“It won’t be easy. When I became world No 1 in 1988, I was 24. But I felt like I was ten years older… Carlos is so exciting that I really hope he doesn’t have to go through that.”
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