Carlos Alcaraz left everyone speechless in 2022, by winning the US Open and becoming the youngest number 1 in the history of men’s tennis. As if that were not enough, the Murcian has also won two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid) and as many ATP 500 (Rio and Barcelona).
Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé graced his season by beating two sacred monsters in Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the Mutua Madrid Open, further proof of his enormous potential. Some physical problems prevented ‘Carlitos’ from getting the most out of himself in the last part of the season, forcing him to miss the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
The Iberian is working hard to get back in shape and will not participate in any official tournament before the Australian Open. In the latest edition of the podcast hosted by Craig Shapiro, former ATP number 6 Nicolás Lapentti took a closer look at Alcaraz’s prospects.
“We have all seen what Carlos Alcaraz is capable of. He left everyone speechless in 2022 and he has many years ahead of him,” Lapentti began. “The big question is whether he will be able to be as consistent as the big three.
It will depend a lot on his physical condition. Will he be able to stay healthy for the next 15-18 years? It is impossible to give an answer now. Will he be able to stay mentally sane for the next 15 years? He has a titanic feat to perform, but we’ll see.
We will talk about it in about ten years. Alcaraz has everything to make history, that’s for sure. No one has played that well at 19 years old,” added Nicolas.
Alcaraz will miss AO 2023
During the press conference, Daniil Medvedev was asked about World No.
1 Carlos Alcaraz’s absence from the 2023 Australian Open. “It’s a pity. I’m not exactly sure what he has, if it’s a little bit the consequence of a previous injury or just a new one. I’m not his team, so I have no idea.
It’s a pity. He’s one of the best players in the world. We played once (Wimbledon 2021), but he was not at the same level. We might not even count it,” the Russian stated. “I would be happy to play him. Feeling in my best form.
Yeah, the way he played at 18 years old, he could be a little bit kind of Rafa, Novak, Roger kind of guy. But he still has 19 slams to win, so it’s a pity that he doesn’t play the next Slam. Would be fun to watch. I’m sure he’s going to come back stronger,” he said.
