Carlos Alcaraz is on top of the tennis world once again after a four-set victory over Jannik Sinner in the final of the US Open.
Tennis has a bit of a problem, with Sinner and Alcaraz sharing the last eight Grand Slam titles between them.
The last time a different player won a Grand Slam was in 2023 when Novak Djokovic won the US Open, and things have been pretty regimented ever since then.
It’s not uncommon for men’s tennis to be dominated by just two players.
In 2006 and 2007, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared the eight Grand Slams between them, before Djokovic started to get involved with taking some of them.
The Big Three era is close to being consigned to the history books forever, with Djokovic the only one of the three still striving for success on the big stage.
Djokovic was hailed by Alcaraz after their US Open semifinal clash and now a tennis expert has shared what impact the Spaniard might have on the future of the game.
Patrick Mouratoglou wants people to wake up regarding Carlos Alcaraz
With Alcaraz now on six Grand Slam titles, people are starting to wonder exactly how many of the big ones he can win along with Sinner.
Jimmy Connors raved about Alcaraz after his latest win, and now Mouratoglou has called for people to wake up and smell the coffee regarding the youngster.
The French tennis coach believes that he’s well on his way towards greatest-ever status and wants people to realise where he’s going to rank when it comes to the game’s legends.
He said on his personal Instagram account: “Carlos is in advance compared to anybody else in history.
“Since his first Grand Slam win at the 2022 US Open, he’s won one Grand Slam out of every two.
“He’s going to play at least 10 more years, probably 15, and if he keeps the same rhythm, he’s going to beat the record of all-time for Grand Slams won.
“We can already think about this. Of course, anything can happen; he might get bad injuries, maybe Sinner is going to find some solutions against him in the future, too.
“It reminds me of the time when Roger and Rafael Nadal were dominating tennis so much, before Novak came in.
“So this is going to be the story of the next 10/15 years, the two guys progressing, the two guys knowing each other better and better and finding solutions.
“Maybe a third guy is going to enter, who knows. So, that’s why it’s a bit early to think about that, but I just want people to realise that Carlos is on a pace to become the best of all time.”
Alcaraz will want to end the season in top spot
Now that Alcaraz has bypassed Sinner to sit at the top of the rankings, there is no way he will want to relinquish control of that position.
Alcaraz will miss the Davis Cup qualifier next week to focus on his recovery, but he will likely return for the Asian swing in preparation for the end-of-year ATP Finals.
At 22-years-old, Alcaraz is proving to be a relentless performer on the tour, and he doesn’t miss too many tournaments.
Now, as the world’s best, he will want to ensure that his foot stays to the metal and that he keeps Sinner out of reach ahead of the Australian Open in January.
Whether Alcaraz can eclipse the 24 Grand Slam titles won by Djokovic remains to be seen, but with the competition looking restricted to Sinner, there is every chance he could dominate for a number of years.
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