In the new series of Break Point, the Netflix documentary that shadows elite tennis players, Carlos Alcaraz was asked about nerves. The Spaniard was 19 years old at the time – he’s 20 now – and was closing in on the US Open final. “No,” Alcaraz replied, looking genuinely bemused by the question. “No, I don’t feel pressure.”
Alcaraz won the US Open, his first grand slam title, and comes into Wimbledon, which starts tomorrow, as the 2023 Queen’s Club champion and world No 1: it is the first time for 20 years that the top seed in the men’s singles has not been Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray. But if you imagine that the expectation will weigh heavy on his young shoulders, perhaps think again.
“He seems to really relish big moments and big stages,” says Matt Roberts, co-host of the excellent Tennis Podcast, who first watched Alcaraz compete aged 13. “He just plays with such joy and freedom on the court. He doesn’t seem burdened by being at the top of the sport so young, by having people chase him. He just loves it. “And that’s a little bit of Federer, I suppose. Federer used to love the spotlight being number one, and I think Alcaraz has got that as well.”
It’s a heady comparison, but Alcaraz attracts a lot of those these days. Last week Ivan Ljubičić, a former world No 3 and the coach credited with Federer’s late-career regeneration, said: “He’s something we haven’t seen so far: some sort of sick combination of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. I just hope that his body holds up, because he’s putting crazy demands on his body at the moment.”
Petra Kvitová, the two-time Wimbledon women’s champion, was equally effusive. “I like Carlos a lot,” she said. “How he moves, the things he returns – it’s beautiful! I’m glad someone like him will follow in the footsteps of Roger and Rafa.”
The question of who will be the next great men’s tennis champion has felt like the trials of a fairytale: over the years the contenders have come – Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, Dominic Thiem, among them – and none has noticed the pea under the mattress. But Alcaraz feels like a different proposition. Carlitos, as he’s known, grew up in Murcia, south-eastern Spain: his grandfather built a tennis club in his home town, filled with clay courts, and his father was the academy director. He started playing aged three, and by 11 he was signed up by the talent agency IMG.
When Roberts first saw Alcaraz, only just a teenager, play at a junior tournament in Barcelona, it was already clear he was a special proposition. “He looked like a professional already,” recalls Roberts. “He was just so complete; he could do anything. I really don’t think I had an incredible scouter’s eye. Anyone would have watched him and thought: ‘Jeesh, this guy is very good at the thing.’”
So what chance does Alcaraz have at this year’s Wimbledon? Well, like the surface, he’s very green: his victory at Queen’s was only his third-ever tournament on grass. He almost lost in the first round, but by the end of the week he was saying: “Right now, I feel like I’ve played 10 years on grass.” He’s been studying videos of Federer and Murray to improve his movement. But make no mistake: Djokovic, the seven-time champion – and unbeaten at the tournament since 2017 – starts as overwhelming favourite.
Still, expect Alcaraz, who last week was named as an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, to become a darling of the Wimbledon faithful. “People have different likes and dislikes, I’m sure, but anyone would be hard pushed to watch Alcaraz play tennis and not feel joy or some connection,” says Roberts. “He’s just a human highlight reel. He’s someone you want to watch because of what he might do next – a shot you’ve never seen before. And he’s so fast, so fans will love that aspect of his game as well. He’s such a fun time.”
As for Alcaraz, he says simply: “I think I will win at least one Wimbledon.”