Carlos Alcaraz awaits a titanic battle against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at Roland Garros on Friday. The Spaniard, who is in great shape, can dominate the sport in the coming years, according to John McEnroe. “It is a natural talent,” the American tennis icon tells NU.nl.
McEnroe heeft nog nooit een speler gezien die op twintigjarige leeftijd beter was dan Alcaraz. “Boris Becker deed het op achttien- of negentienjarige leeftijd beter, maar Alcaraz heeft zich geweldig ontwikkeld”, zegt de 64-jarige analist van Eurosport. Hij prijst de rust en kalmte in het spel van het wonderkind. “Hij laat zich niet van de wijs brengen.”
Alcaraz heeft nu al een goedgevulde prijzenkast. Hij heeft tien ATP-titels op zijn palmares, waaronder de US Open vorig jaar. Door zijn triomf op het hardcourt in New York werd hij met negentien jaar, vier maanden en zes dagen de jongste nummer één op de wereldranglijst ooit.
Door zijn wervelende entree in de wereldtop wordt Alcaraz vaak genoemd als mogelijke troonopvolger van de ‘Grote Drie’: Djokovic, Roger Federer en Rafael Nadal. McEnroe ziet geen zwakke punten bij de jongeling. Naast een geweldig loopvermogen en sterke technische kwaliteiten beschikt Alcaraz volgens de Amerikaan ook over de juiste mentaliteit. “Hij is echt een complete speler.”
Ontvang meldingen bij belangrijke ontwikkelingen rondom Carlos Alcaraz
‘Alcaraz had a short fuse’
At the age of four, Alcaraz could often be found on the court of the tennis club in El Palmar, a suburb of Murcia in southeastern Spain. His grandfather and father failed to succeed as a professional tennis player, but it soon became clear to the little ‘Carlitos’ that a successful career was possible.
“I immediately saw that he was an exceptional talent,” said Kiko Navarro, former Alcaraz youth coach, before the start of Roland Garros. The Guardian. When young Alcaraz didn’t master something, he became obsessive about it. “I’m not saying I thought he was going to be the best in the world, but I did realize I had a special player under my wing.”
On a local and national level, Alcaraz was the boss of his compatriots. More defeats followed at the international level, resulting in outbursts of anger and tears. “The truth is that Carlos had a short fuse,” said Navarro. “I often had to leave him alone for a while if he had lost another match somewhere in the world. He was a very bad loser.”
His perfectionism and perseverance eventually led Alcaraz to the world top. But the list leader has never forgotten his roots. He still regularly visits El Palmar to train near family and friends. Navarro: “You can take Carlos out of Murcia, but you can’t take Murcia out of Carlos.”
Alcaraz acknowledged in Rome last month after a rare loss against the Hungarian Fábián Marozsán (ATP-135) that he has taken mental steps. “I used to be a completely different person. I was always angry and always throwing my racket. I started working on that. Now I have better control of my emotions. Now I enjoy the game even more.”
Titels Carlos Alcaraz:
- 2023 (4): Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona en Madrid
- 2022 (5): Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Barcelona, Madrid en US Open
- 2021 (1): Umag Kroatië
Alcaraz strings together tournament victories
Alcaraz is also reaping the fruits of its hard work this year. He missed the Australian Open due to injury, but then he won the tournaments of Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona and Madrid. He suffered only 3 defeats in 2023, against 35 wins.
The audience at Roland Garros can also enjoy the game of Alcaraz. The global number one only gave away forty games in five games in this tournament. He only lost a set in the second round against the Japanese Taro Daniel. In the quarterfinals, top player Stéfanos Tsitsipás (ATP-5) only got nine games.
McEnroe foresees a great career for Alcaraz, but certainly does not want to put him against the yardstick of his legendary compatriot Nadal. “Alcaraz has everything to become an icon. But at the same time I don’t want to put pressure on his shoulders. If he wins ten Grand Slams, it’s already incredible. Let’s beat Djokovic first. That will be a thrilling match.”
Alcaraz himself is also looking forward to his second clash ever with Djokovic. At the first meeting last year in Madrid, the Spaniard won 6-7 (5), 7-5 and 7-6 (5). “If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best players,” said the title contender after his victory over Tsitsipás. “I feel the energy and love of the crowd. Everyone wants to see that game, but I’m looking forward to it myself.”
De halve finale tussen Alcaraz en Djokovic op het Court Philippe Chatrier begint vrijdag rond 14.45 uur. De winnaar speelt zondag de finale tegen Casper Ruud of Alexander Zverev.
2023-06-09 03:03:47
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