Carlos Alcaraz entered the top 10 in the world at the age of 18 like his idol Rafael Nadal, but it is difficult to keep up with the feats of his compatriots.
Winning the Barcelona Open helps Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest person to enter the world’s top 10 in the past 17 years, since Rafael Nadal do this in 2005. The Spanish couple are also the rare two to break the ATP top 10 before the age of 19, since 1994.
Nadal won Roland Garros for the first time in 2005, ushering in a new era of dominance on clay. Image: Roland Garros
Alcaraz’s breakthrough deepened the comparisons between him and Nadal. In 2005, Nadal also entered the top 10 after winning the Barcelona Open title. He started that season at 51st ATP. Alcaraz finished 2021 in 32nd place. When he attended last year’s Barcelona Open, Alcaraz was also 119th.
Alcaraz has won three titles since the start of the year, including the Masters 1000 in Miami. He has lost only three matches in the past four months, including two narrow defeats at the hands of Nadal and Matteo Berrettini. Alcaraz’s first championship this year was the ATP 500 Rio Open, similar to how Nadal started the 2005 season with the Brasil Open trophy in Sao Paulo.
In the second half of February 2005, Nadal won two clay events in the Americas, the Brasil Open and the Mexican Open. He then reached the final of the Miami Open, losing Roger Federer in set five. In April, Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open. He then won the Rome Masters, as a launching pad to conquer Roland Garros for the first time.
In just the first half of the 2005 season, Nadal won six titles and climbed to number three in the world – up 48 places from the start of the season. Alcaraz has so far participated in six tournaments and won all three finals. He also attends the Madrid Open next week, then the Rome Masters and Roland Garros in the clay season. In all of these tournaments, Alcaraz is considered the top candidate for the championship, next to Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz took the first steps of his career like Nadal, the brother he idolized and learned over the years. Image: Marca
“I don’t see my limits,” Alcaraz said in an interview with ATP on April 24. “I want to maintain the form I have. I have many options to develop my ability. I will enjoy tennis and climb every step of my career.”
Alcaraz reached 50 ATP wins faster than all three legends Nadal, Djokvoic and Federer. It took him 70 games to do this, three less than his coach – Juan Carlos Ferrero. The former Spaniard spent eight weeks at number one ATP in 2003, winning 16 ATP titles, including Roland Garros 2003.
Under the guidance of Ferrero, Alcaraz owns a fast, solid serve, both forehand and left. The player who is about to turn 19 always chooses a difficult angle to hit, dangerous falling points that make it difficult for opponents to defend. Alcaraz has the ability to change the rhythm of the game, intelligently and tactically. His comprehensive skill set makes it possible for him to create any shot that comes to mind. Alcaraz’s small miss recently has been highly effective, often making opponents watch or spend a lot of effort to save.
To elevate Alcaraz, Coach Ferrero and his team instilled in his students a culture of hard work, similar to how coach Toni Nadal forged his famous grandson two decades ago. Alcaraz was taught how to behave on the field, with fire but respect for the opponent. In the victory over Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz was hit by his senior, but restrained to ignore it, instead of jumping into the controversy.
Alcaraz aims to win his first Grand Slam title at the age of 18, as Nadal did in 2005. Photo: ATP
In interviews, Alcaraz confidently talks about big ambitions, like winning a Grand Slam or the number one ATP position, but is still modest about his talent. He said: “In tennis or in life, nothing is certain. My or anyone’s form can be lost quickly. Only training every day will help me maintain my form, then step by step. better self-improvement”.
Alcaraz often mentions Nadal when talking about the beginning of his career. The owner of 21 Grand Slams is the best example for him to look at to learn, improve and prolong his peak performance.
Nadal 17 years ago not only played well on clay, but also proved his ability and bravery on hard courts, which is not his forte. Two months after winning Roland Garros, Nadal defeated senior Andre Agassi in the final of the Rogers Cup. In September, Nadal won the China Open, also on outdoor hard courts. Later that year, the “King of Clay” completed his 11-title collection with a trophy at the Madrid Open, which was then played on indoor hard courts.
Alcaraz could meet Nadal and Djokovic in Madrid next week, when the two great Grand Slam champions are on the organizers’ preliminary list. It is not known whether the 18-year-old tennis player is capable of succeeding the seniors, but Alcaraz can be proud of what has been achieved. Very few people of Alcaraz’s age make it to the top 10 in the world and win all four finals. ATP rated Alcaraz as an “excellent student with all A’s”, while the Spanish newspaper Marca called him “the most awaited NextGen of the past decade”.
Vy Anh
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
