It was in the same tournament two years back that the Spaniard registered his first match win on the main tour - as a mere 16-year-old. While his peers have always been aware of his promise, it is his progress over the last 12 months that has taken the tennis world by storm. In a recent segment on the Tennis Channel, Prakash Amritraj and Jennifer Brady discussed the potential of the talented teenager.
Amritraj first addressed the state of excitement that Alcaraz is in right now. He mentioned that everything is new for the Spaniard at this point, which is expected to to drive his motivation. As a result, he only expects Alcaraz to keep moving up the rankings and perhaps even break into the top 10 by the end of the season.
The former Indian tennis player remarked that Alcaraz is capable on every surface. He explained that the Spaniard’s relative weakness on grass should not deter him too much since there are very few tournaments played on it. He believes Alcaraz is a future World Number. 1.
“Maybe Alcaraz is the next teenage Grand Slam champion” - Jennifer Brady
The men’s game hasn’t witnessed a teenage Grand Slam champion since Rafael Nadal won his first Roland Garros title in 2005 at the age of 19 . Hailing from the same nation as the 21-time Major champion, Alcaraz’s early success is very reminiscent of the former. 2021 Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady feels the 18-year-old has the potential to be the next teenage champion.
Brady explained that Alcaraz’s rise in the rankings will help him in being seeded for the Grand Slams, which in turn should give him a better chance of making the second week.
Amritraj further pointed out the Spaniard’s build. He referenced past teenage champions like Boris Becker and Rafael Nadal who were physically extremely well developed at a very young age.
The Indian feels that Alcaraz also possesses that trait, unlike many others who develop later on. Hence, he believes it’s only the mental part that needs maturing for the teenager.
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