Carlos Alcaraz's mental strength similar to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, says Monica Seles
Carlos Alcaraz's incredible ability to stay mentally strong at such a young age has impressed legendary tennis player Monica Seles, causing her to compare the 19-year-old to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz began his dominance and ascent in the ATP rankings a little over a year ago when he won the 2022 Rio Open before lifting his maiden Masters title in Miami. This was followed by triumphs at the ATP 500 Barcelona Open and Madrid Masters, where he defeated Nadal, Djokovic, and Zverev one after the other to clinch a second ATP 1000 title.
The biggest moment so far in his career came at the 2022 US Open, where he won his first Grand Slam title on the back of some colossal performances. Before beating Casper Ruud in the summit clash, the Spaniard was involved in three consecutive five-set thrillers against Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner, and Frances Tiafoe.
Seles, who turned pro at the age of 15 and won eight of her nine Grand Slam titles before turning 20, was considered one of the best prodigies to ever grace the sport.
Speaking to Eurosport recently, the Yugoslavian-American icon expressed her astonishment at Alcaraz's mental strength and remarked that he would win numerous Majors due to his adaptability to different surfaces and extraordinary physical conditioning.
"I'm surprised by Alcaraz's mental strength being so young. I only saw it before in Nadal and Djokovic," Seles said. "We are going to see Carlos win many more Majors because he is capable of being competitive on any kind of surface and withstand matches as long as the ones he won at the last U.S. Open."
Carlos Alcaraz wishes to beat Nadal and Djokovic to become the best ever
Speaking to Eurosport a couple of days after winning the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz expressed his wish to win multiple Grand Slam titles and eventually become the greatest player in tennis history. He added that in order to be the best, he would like to beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the future.
"I want to beat Nadal and Djokovic, but I am not here to take any Grand Slams away from them or prevent either of them from being the best of all time. I am just trying to write my own history," Carlos Alcaraz said.
Due to injuries, Alcaraz has missed out on a few important tournaments like the 2023 Australian Open and the ongoing Monte-Carlo Masters in the last few months. However, he has recovered completely and will defend his title at the Barcelona Open, to be played from April 17 to 23.