"I don't want you to be like Nadal, like Federer or Djokovic, I want you to be like Alcaraz because he has it all" - Mats Wilander on Carlos Alcaraz
Tennis' rising superstar Carlos Alcaraz has received immense praise this year for his attitude, skills and outlook in matches.
Former World No. 1 Mats Wilander was the latest to shower praise on the Spanish teenager as he gears up for the French Open. The Swede, in a conversation with Marca, pointed out that the Spaniard has the right attitude and the right body language during matches.
Wilander also said that Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, might've played a role in how he approaches matches.
"I never saw someone with their way of acting and their freshness. He is always inside the game, he is emotional, but at the same time he looks at his bench with a good attitude," Wilander said. "Carlos teaches everything positive that he carries inside with his body language. This is something that is difficult to learn, I guess he is, although Ferrero may have advised him what he has to project in the face of the rival."
Wilander added that Alcaraz's attitude on the court, his passion and love for the sport set him apart from his peers and that he didn't want the young Spaniard "to be like Nadal, like Federer or Djokovic."
"I love how he acts, it's very important for tennis that there is a player who seems to be enjoying so much, who likes to compete so much and who hates to lose. It's like the example to follow: I don't want you to be like Nadal, like Federer or Djokovic, I want you to be like Alcaraz because he has it all."
"I want to win one of the 3 remaining Grand Slam tournaments in 2022. That's the goal. I hope it will be in Paris already. I feel like I'm ready to play at the best of 5 sets against top players."
Carlos Alcaraz, never satisfied https://t.co/SAJH1CoI4i
Carlos Alcaraz has the game and attitude that sets him apart from other young players: Mats Wilander
Carlos Alcaraz has seemingly shaken the establishment of the next generation of players. The likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev were tipped to replace the Big 3 at the top of the tennis tree until Carlos Alcaraz started dominating.
According to Mats Wilander, Carlos Alcaraz has a unique style of play, whilst adopting certain traits from top players like Tsitsipas and Zverev.
"He can do the things that Tsitsipas does, like catching the ball very early, playing aggressively; it can be just as solid as Zverev; perhaps he cannot do what Medvedev does, because only he does according to what things... But Carlos has the resource of the left and the attitude that makes him different from the rest of the young people," Wilander said.
Carlos Alcaraz had a slow start to the claycourt season, losing to Sebastian Korda in the second round of Monte-Carlo. He rebounded to claim back-to-back titles at Barcelona and Madrid to propel him to World No. 6 in the rankings. Alcaraz became the first player to beat Djokovic and Nadal back-to-back in a clay tournament during his title run in Madrid.
He withdrew from the Italian Open to rest and prepare himself for Roland Garros, where he will look to win his maiden Grand Slam title.
An absolute ruthless display from @alcarazcarlos03 to defeat the World No. 3 in Madrid!
#MMOPEN https://t.co/V6JaMkz6Ld
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