Boris Becker says Carlos Alcaraz is absolutely impressive and already “rewriting tennis history” but also noted that there are many things that will play a role in whether the Spaniard can dominate the game for as much as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have been able to do.
Alcaraz, who turned 20 last Friday, is a Grand Slam champion and has four Masters titles in his collection. So far this season, Alcaraz has appeared in just six tournaments due to injury issues. Still, missing tournaments hasn’t impacted Alcaraz that much since the Spaniard has five finals and three titles in 2023 – including Masters wins in Indian Wells and Madrid.
“I am fascinated by the fact that he is playing the way he is playing this year. It’s hard enough to get into the tennis scene and win your first tournaments. Now it surprised me that after a winter of injuries he continues to play tennis exactly where he left off – with absolute world-class performances.
For me, this is a sign that he will stay there, that he is a player who can and wants to continue winning big tournaments. If he stays healthy, he’s always a contender for a Grand Slam win for the next 10 years,” Becker told Eurosport’s Das Gelbe vom Ball podcast.
Becker on if Alcaraz can dominate for a really long time
“He would have the talent and the appetite for it. But so many things can go wrong. He can get injured or lose the will once he has won everything three or four times.
My wish is that he doesn’t lose the desire and the mood for our wonderful sport and that we’ll still be talking about Carlos Alcaraz in 15 years’ time,” Becker added. After winning his first Grand Slam title at last year’s US Open, Alcaraz was asked if it was the beginning of him emulating the Grand Slam records of the Big Three.
Alcaraz refused to go that route, insisting that he was a very long way from reaching 20 Grand Slam titles. However, many believe that Alcaraz is an astonishing talent and that he will undoubtedly one day go down as an all-time great.
