Carlos Alcaraz placeholder image
Nationality: Spanish
ATP ranking: 97th
Age: 18 (born 2003)
His history : That of a player in advance whose phenomenal precocity acted in mirror with his “idol”, Rafael Nadal. Originally from Murcia, where he touched the racket from an early age, the kid jumped all the stages, and broke records with it. 2019, at the age of 15 (!), He becomes the first player born in 2003 to win a match on the Challenger circuit. 2020, he offers his first victory on the main circuit, wins three Challengers (5th player to reach this total before 18 years old behind Del Potro, Djokovic, Gasquet and Auger-Aliassime) and leaps in the standings. In 2021, he logically entered the Top 100 and became the youngest to achieve such a performance since Borna Coric in 2014. The youngest Spaniard since… Rafael Nadal, obviously.
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Hated by Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz had the intelligence to sweep away all comparisons with his imposing idol. Is right. Because if they are both Spanish and both shine on earth, the younger of the two has a much more versatile game than Nadal at his age. Powerful forehand, forward play and interesting volleying play, the kid has it in the racket, no doubt. “He looks more like Federer or Djokovic than Nadal“, had also explained his famous trainer in 2020, who however ensures that his protégé keeps his feet on the ground.
Out of the qualifications in Melbourne at the beginning of the year, Alcaraz lived the same trip on Parisian soil in this year 2021. His ultra-domination (11 games left to his opponents in three matches) gave him the doors of the big table where he didn’t tremble for a second. After a victory in the first round against his compatriot Zapata Miralles in four sets, he folded the case in three short innings against Nikoloz Basilashvili in the second round (6-4, 6-2, 6-4), seed number 28 shipped like a skilled vulgar, impressing onlookers. How far ?
The slamming stat : He became the youngest player to join the 3rd round of Roland-Garros since Andreï Medvedev in… 1992. All the Grand Slam tournaments together, we haven’t seen that since… Rafael Nadal, again him, in 2003 in Wimbledon.
His 3rd round : Complicated against Jan-Lennard Struff, striker of Andrey Rublev in the 1st round and very strong at the start of the fortnight. Between the two men, it should hit hard. To our greatest delight…
Carlos Alcaraz (Roland-Garros)
Credit: Getty Images
Lorenzo Musetti
Nationality: Italian
ATP ranking: 76th
Age: 19 (born March 3, 2002)
His history : That of a raw talent who learns (very) quickly. Beyond its intrinsic qualities, it is the solidity of the structure which surrounds it which is also the key to the rapid emergence of Lorenzo Musetti. Incorporated for ten years by the same trainer, Simone Tartarini, whom he considers a second father, the young Italian made himself known to the general public last September during the 2020 edition of the Masters 1000 in Rome where he reached the round of 16 coming out of qualifying.
The performance was certainly beautiful, especially for an 18-year-old kid (the first to go so far as young in the Italian capital since a certain Fabrice Santoro in 1991), but beyond the result, it is the clear visual impression which captivated observers. With his magnificent one-handed backhand, his inspirations, his silky touch of the ball and his beating character, he had then offered the scalps of Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori, two big names on the circuit, certainly far from their best level. Level charisma, the youngster, who would have seen himself as an actor à la Al Pacino if he had not played tennis, arises there.
The mastery of his backhand passing wrists and his sense of the game are reminiscent of his idol, Roger Federer. His dream ? Face the Swiss in the Wimbledon final. If he has very little chance of being affected, both because of Master Roger’s age and his own, Musetti is already showing surprising maturity. Very comfortable on clay where he excels, he is also efficient on hard. Moreover, he was a finalist of the US Open 2018 and crowned at the Australian Open 2019 among juniors.
Importantly, it seems to improve as the pressure builds. After his Roman adventure, he went to seek his first Challenger title in Forli, then his first semi-final on the ATP circuit in Sardinia. And in 2021, he further upped the pace with two new halves in Acapulco (after which he entered the Top 100) and Lyon. Each time, Stefanos Tsitsipas blocked his way. But if in Mexico, the case was quickly folded (6-1, 6-3), in the Rhône he allowed himself to take a set at number 1 in the Race (4-6, 6-3, 6 -0). We tell you, Musetti learns quickly. Very quickly.
The slamming stat : He already has 5 victories over members of the Top 20 this year, including one in the best of five sets against David Goffin in the 1st round (6-0, 7-5, 7-6). He even beat his first Top 10 in the person of Diego Schwartzman in Acapulco.
A statement that sums it up : “I’m used to playing on the big courts. I think I produced my best performances there in Acapulco or on the center court in Rome. When I won my Australian Open for juniors, I did it at the Rod Laver Arena. No matter where I am put, I play and do my best to win. I didn’t expect it to go so fast: getting into the Top 100 was obviously my goal. Now I have some new ones: try to finish the Top 50 year.”
His 3rd round : Within reach, one would be tempted to say. Musetti will reunite with his compatriot Marco Cecchinato, the surprising semi-finalist of the 2018 Roland-Garros edition. He hadn’t done much since (he is even less well classified than Musetti in 83rd place in the world), but seems to find inspiration in the wake of a final in Parma in preparation. A beautiful duel of generations and one-handed backhands in perspective.
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Jannik Sinner
Nationality: Italian
ATP ranking: 76th
Age: 19 (born 2001)
His history : Would you like a fairy tale with Latin accents? Missed. Jannik Sinner may be Italian, but his temperament and his tennis breathe more rigorously Austria, just behind Tyrol where he grew up. A brilliant skier at a young age, Sinner did not hesitate long to choose tennis, the brevity of a descent not equaling the pleasure of seeing his opponent suffering for several hours on a court. Because, since his beginnings, it is a habit that he has acquired: Sinner is an executioner who takes pleasure in martyring his victims using supersonic flat blows.
Stubborn and convinced, Sinner is. His work ethic was quickly evident when he decided to line up in Futures tournaments rather than junior, to grow faster, against older and more experienced. From this choice results an emotional management of matches bluffing at his age. From 2019, he offered prestigious victories against Gaël Monfils or Frances Tiafoe on the main circuit before removing, to everyone’s surprise or almost, the ATP Next Gen. The start of an irresistible ascent: in 2020, he made his way to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros where Rafael Nadal barred him before ending the year with a bang, with his first title in Sofia (ATP 250). His victory in Melbourne for the preparatory tournament for the Australian Open and then his final in Miami have finally convinced the most reluctant: Sinner is a machine launched at full speed.
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His new status does not seem to embarrass him too much. For his first lap, Riccardo Piatti’s protege, again, took pleasure in cooling a Lenglen who only asked to ignite behind Pierre-Hugues Herbert. In five sets, with great authority in the hottest moments, he was able to keep a cool head. Same pattern during his second round against his compatriot Mager, crunched in 4 sets. It’s not the great Sinner yet. But, for the moment, that is more than enough.
The slamming stat : 534, like the number of places in the ATP ranking since January 1, 2019. Did you say meteorite?
The statement that sums it up : “He is not human, it is a fact. I asked him if he really was because it really surprised me that a guy his age had such mental toughness, when a lot of other players on the tour didn’t. I called him ‘the robot’ a few times during our match but it was positive and sincere because he is really, really a great player.“(Alexander Bublik in March 2021 after his loss to Sinner).
His 3rd round : He was probably expecting Gaël Monfils. He was not the only one as the style opposition could have been worth the detour. Finally, it will be Mikael Ymer. Not likely to make the Italian tremble, who is the favorite in this match. Because, basically, we all want to see him at work in a potential round of 16 against Rafael Nadal. History to measure a little its lightning rise of the last months.
Jannik Sinner – Roland Garros 2021
Credit: Getty Images
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