Carlos Alcaraz may not be the world number one, but he does look like being the man to beat on the court.
The Spanish star just clinched his third Grand Slam title at the age of 21, winning the French Open earlier this month.
He adds the Roland Garros trophy to his US Open and Wimbledon wins, and has now moved to second in the world rankings.
It seems that Alcaraz is only just getting going on the court, with the youngster admitting that he is happy to settle in this current climate at the elite level for ‘another 15 years’.
The Spaniard does, however, have a very long way to go if he is to achieve the success of the legends that have come before him.
Andy Roddick makes Carlos Alcaraz admission after his French Open win
Sitting at the very top of the men’s all-time Grand Slam titles list is Djokovic, with the Serbian currently on 24.
It remains to be seen if the 37-year-old can add to that tally in the near future, with the world number three’s doctor confirming he won’t be 100% fit for Wimbledon.
Rafael Nadal meanwhile sits second in the list with 22, with the Spaniard perhaps unlikely to clinch further success given his imminent retirement plans, while the retired Roger Federer sits third with 20.
One-time Grand Slam winner Andy Roddick has now explained that he was not expecting Alcaraz to come in and take over the mantle from the men’s ‘big three’ and the likes of women’s icons Serena and Venus Williams so quickly and so effectively.
“I’m going to tell everyone when I’m wrong,” Roddick said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.
“Post big three, sitting there in 2021, it looks like Roger is hurt, Rafa lasted longer than I think any of us thought he would, Novak was still dominant but there was this wonder of… I’m in Arthur Ashe stadium, night session, are we going to have the stars in the vacuum post-Roger, Serena, Rafa, Venus, so on and so forth, who can fill this stadium with the brand of tennis and with the star power?
“I honestly feared and would have bet significant money that there was going to be a bit of a lull in the interest of tennis and the product that was going to be put out there.
“I thought it would take more years to build and market superstars. But was I ever completely wrong. This kid steps in, he is my favourite player to watch, he can hit every shot.
“And he’s this mix of perfect because he can hit every shot and play every way but also vulnerable because I don’t know how you can harness all the options he has at any moment.”
Carlos Alcaraz secures rapid rise in men’s tennis
Alcaraz has quickly become one of the top stars in men’s tennis, with his feats on the court remarkable given his age.
At just 21, the Spaniard already has a long list of honours to his name, with tennis legend John McEnroe claiming that he is better than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were at this age.
It is important that Alcaraz does not let the pressure of constantly competing at the very top get to him, although it seems that such pressure really won’t be an issue.
He now heads into a busy grass season following his French Open win, with the Spaniard looking to defend his Wimbledon crown.
Quickly after that Alcaraz must turn his attentions back to Roland Garros, with the venue playing host to the 2024 Olympics.
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