Carlos Alcaraz is a generational talent who is seemingly set to dominate the tennis world for many years to come.
The Spaniard has already claimed four Grand Slams despite his tender age of 21, including winning the last two Wimbledon titles.
Alcaraz wasn’t able to complete the career Grand Slam and become the youngest ever to do so by winning the Australian Open in January, although he will get another chance to do that in the future.
Despite his career only really getting started still, comparisons have already been made to some of the best players to ever pick up a tennis racket, notably Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Boris Becker had his say on Alcaraz last week. The youngster was sent packing at the Qatar Open in surprise circumstances when he was beaten by Jiri Lehecka against the odds.
Steve Johnson and John Isner make claim about Carlos Alcaraz
Johnson and Isner never won a major tournament but they did both enjoy solid careers as professional players without getting to grips with the big tournaments.
They’ve been discussing the future of Alcaraz on the Nothing Major podcast and both believe that he’s nowhere near his best yet and has something to develop if he’s to emulate Federer and Nadal.
Steve Johnson said: “I don’t know. I feel we got very spoiled over the last 15 to 20 years watching Roger, Rafa and Novak and then Wawrinka, Murray, Del Potro, Tsonga, Berdych. When they get a lead they close the door.
“We just haven’t seen that with conviction from Alcaraz over the last couple of years. I believe his top-end tennis is better than anyone when he is playing his best but his mid-range, every day, put on your hard hat and go to work can fluctuate from time to time. It showed, especially in this match.
“He did a really good job, wasn’t playing his best tennis, has a 4-2 lead in the third to go up double break and then about seven and a half minutes later he has lost serve twice and the match is over. It is something we haven’t seen from those top guys.
“When Roger got a lead, the door is closed. It’s over. When Rafa got a lead, it’s over. I just think his everyday game sometimes fluctuates too much for somebody when he is at is best is the best player in the world.
Isner seemed to agree with Johnson on the podcast and thinks it might be a few years yet until we see the very best of Alcaraz.
He added: “I don’t think this is what we are going to see for the next five to eight years. It is easy to forget that he is still only 21 years old. His best tennis is you can argue, in all likelihood, is five years from now. He hasn’t even reached his peak. He is still so young and has so much maturing to do even though he is so ridiculously good and has won all these Grand Slams already at 21 years old.
“I think he will shore that up and become more consistent. It is crazy to think that he has not even come close to reaching his highest level as a tennis player. This year and maybe next year he might have some inconsistent results and some losses which make you scratch your head a bit like Lehecka in Doha but I think he will fix that and will be fine going forward.
Alcaraz can become greatest tennis player of all time
To be standing with four majors at this early stage of his career is quite spectacular. But, as Johnson and Isner allude to, there is still work for him to do in order to be considered akin to the greatest ever.
At 21, however, nobody expected him to be this far down the track when it comes to being a top, top player. There is still bags of time on his side and ultimately, as Isner says, is best is still some distance away.
Right now, Alcaraz is learning and managing different situations out on the court and that naturally means that there will be bumps in the road, just like there were in Qatar last week.
Alcaraz is still on the path to greatness. With the likes of Federer and Nadal now a thing of the past, the Spaniard still looks very much like a player who is going to go a long way towards becoming the greatest ever once we count his Grand Slam successes in the years to come.
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