‘Carlos Alcaraz will win all the titles practically possible – he is destined to be one of the special ones’
Alex Corretja has backed Carlos Alcaraz to win every Grand Slam and “all the titles practically possible” as he feels the Spaniard is “destined to be one of the special ones.”
The former world No 2 also believes the Australian Open will be a “perfect fit” for Alcaraz because of the conditions and the “dramatic atmosphere” of the night sessions.
Alcaraz has already won two of the four Grand Slam tournaments, having claimed his maiden Major at the US Open in 2022 and triumphed at Wimbledon this year.
The Murcian overcame Casper Ruud in a four-set final at Flushing Meadows last year and became the youngest ATP world No 1 in history following his victory.
In the Wimbledon championship match in July, the 20-year-old edged seven-time winner Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set contest to end the Serb’s 34-match winning streak at the event.
Corretja analysed what would make 2024 a successful season for Alcaraz and highlighted the French Open as a significant priority for his compatriot.
“To me, winning a Grand Slam would make it a very good season. I think that this year, for example, Roland Garros is going to be a very big goal for him,” the Spaniard told Eurosport.
“After what happened last year (cramps against Djokovic), I think he will manage it differently. He will have less anxiety and he’ll be wanting to get to Paris to win, because he knows that it is a very long Grand Slam.
“I’ve said it a long time ago, I think Alcaraz is going to win all the Grand Slams on all surfaces, even the Masters. I think he is going to be a player who is going to win all the titles practically possible and it is because of the way he plays, his ambition, and his character.
“I think his tennis is very high. So it seems to me that Alcaraz is destined to be one of the special ones.”
Alcaraz will make his first appearance at the Australian Open since the 2022 edition next month, having missed this year’s tournament through injury.
The two-time Roland Garros runner-up also feels the world No 2 will be determined to have a strong showing at the 2024 Australian Open given his absence in 2023.
“I think the Australian Open is a perfect fit for Alcaraz because of the conditions, because of the way the ball bounces, because it can be hot, because of night sessions where there is a kind of atmosphere that’s dramatic,” Corretja assessed.
“Everything becomes spectacular and he likes that. It’s a little bit like the night session in New York. I think if he arrives well and with some preparation matches it’s going to be perfect.
“He can play a very good Australian Open and he will be eager as an opportunity to seize knowing he didn’t play last year, the last time he played there, he ended up losing a very close match.”
