Carlos Alcaraz left everyone speechless in 2022, by winning the US Open and becoming the youngest number 1 in the history of men’s tennis. As if that were not enough, the Murcian has also won two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid) and as many ATP 500 (Rio and Barcelona).
Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé capped off his season by beating two holy monsters in Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the Mutua Madrid Open, further proof of his enormous potential. Physical problems prevented ‘Carlitos’ from getting the most out of the latter part of the season, forcing him to miss the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
The Iberian is working hard to get in shape and will not participate in any official tournament before the Australian Open. In the latest edition of the podcast hosted by Craig Shapiro, former ATP number 6 Nicolás Lapentti took a closer look at Alcaraz’s prospects.
“We have all seen what Carlos Alcaraz is capable of. He blew everyone away in 2022 and he has many years ahead of him, ”Lapentti began. «The big question is whether he can be as consistent as the big three.
It will depend a lot on your physical condition. Will he be able to stay healthy for the next 15 to 18 years? It is impossible to give an answer now. Will he be able to stay mentally sane for the next 15 years? He has a titanic feat to perform, but we’ll see.
We’ll talk about it in about ten years. Alcaraz has everything to make history, that’s for sure. Nobody has played so well at 19 years old,» added Nicolás.
Alcaraz will miss AO 2023
During the press conference, Daniil Medvedev was asked about No.
1 Carlos Alcaraz’s absence from the 2023 Australian Open. «It’s a shame. I’m not really sure what he has, if it’s a little bit a consequence of a previous injury or just a new one. I’m not his team, so I have no idea.» .
It is a pity. He is one of the best players in the world. We played once (Wimbledon 2021), but it was not at the same level. We may not even count it,» said the Russian. «I would love to play with him. Feeling in my best shape.
Yeah, the way he was playing at 18, he could be a bit of the Rafa, Novak, Roger type. But he still has 19 Slams to win, so it’s a shame he won’t play the next Slam. It would be fun to watch. I’m sure he’ll come back stronger,» he said.
