Novak Djokovic was part of Team Europe during the fifth Laver Cup last weekend in London. Novak won two matches on Saturday before losing one of the crucial encounters to Felix Auger-Aliassime on the final day. Asked by Carlos Alcaraz, Novak praised the US Open winner and the youngest world number 1 in ATP history.
Djokovic mentioned Alcaraz’s achievements, calling them fantastic and calling the 19-year-old a great addition to our sport. Carlos became the most successful teenager since Rafael Nadal, having already won a Major title and two Masters 1000s.
The youngster had remarkable results in 2021 and fell outside the top 30 at 18 years old. He suffered a narrow loss at the Australian Open to Matteo Berrettini earlier in 2022 before conquering the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro, becoming the youngest ATP 500 champion since 2009.
Carlos lost the Indian Wells semi-final to Rafa after a fantastic battle that lasted over three hours. The teenager recovered in Miami and lifted the trophy to become the third-youngest Masters 1000 champion. The young Spaniard lifted the trophy in Barcelona at the end of April to add 500 points to his tally and break into the top 10.
He didn’t stop there, Alcaraz defeating Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev en route to his second Masters 1000 title in a month and a half in Madrid. Carlos became the leader of the ATP race and added more points with the passage to the quarterfinals of Roland Garros.
Alcaraz lost two ATP finals in Hamburg and Umag on clay and traveled to New York as one of the favorites. Although it is evident that Albert Ramos has not been a great star on the circuit, since the beginning of his career he deserves to be classified as a very regular player.
Currently the 40th player in the world, the Spaniard, barring catastrophe, will finish a season for the seventh time in his career among the top 50.
Marc Barbier praises Alcaraz
In a series dedicated to the phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz with our fellow Tennis Majors, several coaches and analysts were asked about the characteristics of the youngest world number one in history.
And just like Patrick Mouratoglou, Marc Barbier, Habs coach Hugo Gaston, sees the 19-year-old Spaniard as an extremely well-rounded player capable of revolutionizing the game for years to come. «We don’t know how far he will go, but for sure he has the means to change the game, or at least bring something new to the game.
I think he is much more complete than Rafael Nadal at the same age. This does not mean that he will have the same record. We don’t know how he will react to success. Maybe after a few Grand Slams he is tired or injured. But if everything goes well, for him, there are no limits.»
