Carlos Alcaraz is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with five Grand Slam titles to his name already, at the age of just 22.
Until Wimbledon this year, the Spaniard had never lost in a major final, emerging victorious in five consecutive championship matches from 2022 to 2025 before Alcaraz lost to Jannik Sinner at the All England Club.
He has already tallied a quarter of Roger Federer‘s Grand Slam total, and could very well surpass the Swiss legend, as well as his old rivals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The idea of emulating the success of the ‘big three’ is one Alcaraz chooses not to pay too much thought to, however.
Carlos Alcaraz says he tries not to think about the pressure on him
In an interview with Financial Times, the world number two said: “Tennis has always had great rivalries and great players.
“It’s a privilege that people look at our games that way, with such enthusiasm, but in the end we have no obligation to do what they have done, far from it.
“If you don’t stay strong in your ideals, in what you want, that pressure can eat you. You have to know how to differentiate.
“We try not to think about any pressure, and least of all about doing what they did. I don’t want people to call me Rafa’s successor.”
How Carlos Alcaraz’s Grand Slam tally stacks up against Open Era greats
Not many tennis players in history have managed in their careers what Alcaraz has done in just a few years.
Since turning professional in 2018, the young star has captured two Wimbledon championships, a pair of Roland Garros titles, and a US Open crown.
| Grand Slam Titles | Player(s) |
|---|---|
| 24 | Novak Djokovic |
| 22 | Rafael Nadal |
| 20 | Roger Federer |
| 14 | Pete Sampras |
| 11 | Bjorn Borg |
| 8 | Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi |
| 7 | John McEnroe, Mats Wilander |
| 6 | Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker |
| 5 | Carlos Alcaraz, Rod Laver, John Newcombe |
He has already collected more majors than greats such as Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Jim Courier, and has equalled the Open Era totals of Rod Laver and John Newcombe.
At the pace he’s going, as long as Alcaraz stays relatively injury-free, the sky is the limit for both him and his rival, Sinner.
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