Marking a dynasty in a sport is a thing only a few can boast of, and passing on this supremacy to another is one thing many top athletes have failed to achieve.
Roger Federer made a home for himself on the grass court but was unsuccessful at passing his artistry to any Swiss youngster; however, the story may just appear a little different for Rafael Nadal and Spanish tennis.
Over time, despite the wave of success Rafael Nadal brought through tennis to Spain, the future of Spanish tennis appeared to be gloomy. With Nadal beyond his prime years and his most competitive compatriots – the likes of Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer, retiring in 2017 & 2019 respectively, there seemed to be an absence of fresh meat onto whom to pass the mantle.
Paulo Carreno Busta, who was tipped by many to be one of the game’s brightest stars, appeared to be just like every other talent that came off the coast of the Southwestern European nation – failing to hit the high standards set by 22-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal. It has to be said that many have come close and are prematurely christened as the ‘next big thing’ in tennis, but sadly none have quite reached the bar set by the ‘Big 3’, namely the amazing trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
Milos Raonic in 2015, Alexander Zverev and Stefano Tsitsipas both in 2019, Dominic Thiem, and a host of others were tipped to mark an era but unfortunately, none have lived up to this billing thus far.
But a twist to this tale of doom and gloom may just be on the cards.
CARLOS ALCARAZ – A STAR IS BORN
When Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam in 2003, an abundance of celebrations and optimistic predictions followed his win at Wimbledon, but only a few had the idea that a future tennis star had been born two months earlier. A young Carlos Alcaraz was born in El Palmar near Murcia in Spain to the family of former tennis star Carlos Alcaraz González.
His journey into tennis began when four-year-old Carlos was introduced to the sport by his father. His natural mentor at the time, Alcaraz’s father, was amongst the few who believed his son would be good enough to go professional. In truth, a Grand Slam win at that point was a far-fetched discussion, but it was a dream the Alcaraz family both believed in and worked toward.
Alcaraz started playing tennis at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia where his father was the tennis academy director. By 11, his talent had begun to catch the eye of his now agent Albert Molina; a few years after Alcaraz made the move to Juan Ferrero’s Equelite JC Ferrero Sports Academy, in 2018, which marked a new beginning for the lowly boy from El Palmar.
THE SWITCH, THE TURNAROUND
Upon joining the JC Ferrero academy, Alcaraz was coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world No 1 and 2003 Roland-Garros champion. This partnership appeared to be a match made in heaven for Carlos, as what followed was a series of sheer dominance from the then 15-year-old. Alcaraz was so good that he quickly racked up three ATP Challenger titles, joining an elite company of players, such as Novak Djokovic, Richard Gasquet, and Felix Auger Aliassime, who had done it before him. It was at this point the media hype for the youngster began. He was second to none – best proven by the fact that the next tennis player at his age is ranked only No. 550 in the world!
In February 2020, upon receiving a wildcard from the singles main draw, 16-year-old Alcaraz made his ATP main-draw debut at the Rio Open, after winning two ITF tournaments. There in Brazil, he defeated Albert Ramos Viñolas, earning his first victory on the main circuit. He appeared to have the wind in his sail until he was ultimately defeated in the second round by Federico Coria. But this defeat only awakened the bull in the young Spaniard, as what followed was a series of record-breaking victories.
THE REBUILD AND SUCCESS
The pandemic of 2020, which derailed many athletes’ development, seemingly had little effect on the 17-year-old. Alcaraz made the best use of this time to improve his tennis skills, and once regular matches started resumed his dominance on the courts began. The 17-year-old won three tournaments of the ATP Challenger Tour between August and October – in Trieste, Barcelona, and Alicante. These achievements helped him significantly advance in the ATP rankings, climbing from No. 490 at the beginning of the season to No. 136. It is safe to say Alcaraz is successfully closing the gap between him and the ranking leaders.
Between 2021 and September 2022, Alcaraz followed his 2020 successes with six ATP singles titles over the two years, the first being at Umag on July 25, 2021. The Spaniard became the youngest player to win an ATP title on tour since Kei Nishikori won the title at Delray Beach in 2008. He also became the youngest title winner in Umag history and the third-youngest ATP title winner since 2000.
Alcaraz’s prodigious talent on the court finally became undeniable when he outclassed both Nadal and Djokovic at the Madrid Open in May of 2022; so it came as a surprise to only a few when the 19-year-old won this year’s US Open, becoming the youngest US Open champion since Pete Sampras’ triumph in 1990. A stand-out match for the Spaniard was his US Open men’s singles final against Casper Ruud. Displaying his unimpeachable quality, in this game, Alcaraz scored his 51st tour-level win of the season – the most by any player this year.
As for overturning the regime that has ruled men’s tennis for the last two decades, Alcaraz was reluctant to cast himself as a revolutionary heralding a new era.
Talking to CNN sport in May of 2022, the athlete said; “I’m a lucky guy to learn from these guys [Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic] so close – to share a locker room, to share courts,” he said. “I hope to watch them for many years.”
For a player who has fared better in his first 100 games compared to the legendary trio of Roger Federer, Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, it is hard to look past the youngster as the next era-defining talent in the tennis world.
Regardless of how many records these men have, the tennis world could be about to witness the first genuine challenge to the established order in men’s tennis for a long time.
