Carlos Alcaraz started winning important titles as early as 2022, when he was not yet 20 years old. The Spanish champion was very precocious, considering that he won two Masters 1000 and a Grand Slam title at the US Open that season.
Carlitos’ progression continued in the following two years, further testimony to the enormous skills of this player who can become one of the best ever. At just 21 years old, Alcaraz has already won four Major titles, five Masters 1000 titles and was world No. 1 for 36 weeks.
Carlos Alcaraz, Davis Cup Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
The 21-year-old from Murcia can play irresistible tennis for anyone on his best days, having impressive power from the baseline and great skills even near the net. However – in the last twelve months – the rise of his great rival Jannik Sinner has forced him to work even harder.
The Italian ace has fewer peaks than the Spaniard, but his consistency during the season is unmatched at the moment. The current world No. 1 has suffered just six defeats in all of 2024 and is set to surpass Carlos’ 36 weeks at the top of the ATP ranking. In addition, the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria also came close to Alcaraz in the ranking of titles won. Jannik has put two Grand Slam titles, four Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals on his ‘board’. The Spanish ace is ahead in H2H against the Italian champion and this rivalry is destined to mark men’s tennis for at least the next decade.
None of the opponents seem to be at their level, although Sascha Zverev has won many matches in 2024 and has entered second position in the ATP ranking. However, the German player has yet to win a Grand Slam title and struggles to play his best tennis in the most important tournaments on the calendar.
Rick Macci on Sinner’s and Alcaraz
Recently, former Serena Williams’ coach Rick Macci explained how Sinner’s rise forces Alcaraz to take a further step: “The best thing about Sinner’s game is he knows there is so many elements that he can improve and sprinkle around his Flamethrower assault off the ground. His year-ending domination has caught the eye of every player in the top ten to step up or get stepped on.”
He also added: “Alcaraz will go to another elite level and be a double Grand Slam winner because of one main reason and that is a guy named Sinner.”
The young Spaniard did not end his season as he would have liked. The world number 3 was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Rolex Paris Masters and arrived at the ATP Finals in precarious condition due to a flu virus. The 4-time Grand Slam champion lost his first match to Casper Ruud in Turin, before defeating Andrey Rublev.
However – in the third match of the group stage – Carlitos had to surrender to an almost flawless performance by Zverev who eliminated him from the tournament.
Alcaraz hoped to end the year in style by winning the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga and giving one last title to his illustrious compatriot Rafa Nadal. However, Spain’s run ended already on Day 1 against Netherlands.
He paid tribute to his idol: “There will be many more Davis, there is only one Rafa ❤️ Thanks to you I have become a professional tennis player. It has been a blessing to be able to live your career as a child for whom you were an idol and then as a teammate! The best possible ambassador who leaves an eternal legacy 🙏🏻,” Alcaraz wrote on X.
Carlitos targets AO
The 21-year-old from Murcia will take a few days off and then start preparing for next season. Carlos will train in Spain together with the young British talent Jack Draper, who has just experienced the best season of his career. The Spaniard is not expected to play any official tournament before the Australian Open.
Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2024 © Stream screenshot
The Spaniard will try to win the only Grand Slam title he is still missing after triumphing twice at Wimbledon, once at Roland Garros and once at the US Open. The Australian Open is the Grand Slam tournament in which Carlitos has struggled the most up to this point in his career, having never gone beyond the quarterfinals.
The current world No. 3 will have to hope not to face Nole Djokovic already in the quarterfinals, as the Serbian legend will start the 2025 AO as the No. 7 seed. This means that Novak could face one of the top four players of the ATP ranking already in the quarterfinals and would be a very dangerous opponent for everyone in Melbourne. Alcaraz himself emphasized this concept during one of the last press conferences of his 2024.