LONDON – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic did not manage to collect four Grand Slam titles before turning 22, the way Carlos Alcaraz has.
None of the members of the so-called Big Three was able to triumph at both the French Open and Wimbledon in a single season before turning 22, the way Alcaraz just did, capped by a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) win against Djokovic on Sunday in the final at the All England Club for a second consecutive trophy there.
Alcaraz is aware of where many of his achievements — particularly with regard to his age — place him in the history of the game. Those are not the milestones that interest him, however. He wants to do more, win more. He wants to reach elite status.
“Get closer to the legends,” is the way Alcaraz put it in Spanish on Sunday evening. “That’s my objective.”
The list of what Alcaraz is accomplishing in his still-in-its-early-stages career keeps growing.
His 2022 U.S. Open title made him the first teenager to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings. His French Open championship last month made him the youngest man with major titles on hard, grass and clay courts. Sunday’s victory made him only the third man to win Wimbledon multiple times before turning 22, joining Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg. It also made him the second man in the Open era, which dates to 1968, to start a career 4-0 in Slam finals, joining Federer.
“Well, obviously I’ve seen, and I’ve heard, all the stats that I am the ‘youngest to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon the same year’ (or) to win whatever. I honestly try not to think about it too much. Obviously it’s a really great start of my career, but I have to keep going. I have to keep building my path,” Alcaraz said, between tugs at the shoulders of his white T-shirt.
“At the end of my career, I want to sit at the same table as the big guys. That’s my main goal. That’s my dream right now,” he continued. “It doesn’t matter if I already won four Grand Slams at the age of 21. If I (don’t) keep going … it doesn’t matter.”
It’s hard not to appreciate his talent as it stands now.
The forehands struck with such force that crowds gasp. The serves that topped 135 mph (218 kph) against Djokovic. The returns that produced five winners and 14 break points on Sunday. And that’s to say nothing of the speed and on-the-run creativity that turn opponents’ apparent point-closing shots into remarkable winners at the other end of the court.
“Just overall, the way I felt on the court today against him, I was inferior,” said Djokovic, who only broke Alcaraz once. “That’s it. He was a better player. He played every single shot better than I did.”
Pretty high praise.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion and five-time Slam runner-up, also was effusive in his assessment after losing to Alcaraz in the semifinals Friday,
“We all have, a little bit, our preferences: Someone prefers defense; someone prefers counterattack; someone prefers to be super aggressive,” Medvedev said. “He can do all of it.”
Perhaps.
Do not think for a moment that Alcaraz is satisfied. To give one example: He spent extra time working on his serving during the Wimbledon fortnight.
“I have to keep improving everything, I guess,” Alcaraz said.
So how far can he go?
Seems rather premature to start discussing whether he can approach the Grand Slam totals of Djokovic (24), Nadal (22) or Federer (20).
And yet, given Alcaraz’s comment about “the big guys,” it did seem appropriate for a reporter to ask how many titles he wants to accumulate.
That drew a wide smile from the Spaniard.
“I don’t know what is my limit. I don’t want to think about it. I just want to keep enjoying my moment, just to keep dreaming,” Alcaraz responded. “So let’s see if, at the end of my career, it’s going to be 25, 30, 15, four. I don’t know.”
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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