Carlos Alcaraz took the tennis world by storm when he made his professional debut in 2020, and since then, his gameplay has only improved. He boasts eight ATP tour-level singles titles, the most recognised being his win at the 2022 US Open. With this title, he broke a record, becoming the youngest male to top the singles rankings.
The prodigy missed the 2023 Australian Open due to an injury but returned with a bang to win the Argentina Open. Afterwards, he participated in the Rio Open, where he finished as a runner-up and then went on to win the Indian Wells Open. Alcaraz was after the top spot in the Miami Open but lost to Jannik Sinner. Now, the French Open is around the corner, and Carlos is one of the strong competitors.
Can Carlos Alcarez, the teenage star, beat the reputable Rafael Nadal to win the 2023 French Open? What are the odds of the Spanish player emerging victorious? We shall answer these and more in this article.
The Spanish younger impresses the tennis world
Carlos Alcaraz was born to a professional tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz González, on May 5, 2003, in El Palmar. He was the youngest of three brothers and dreamed of walking in his father’s footsteps. Carlos kicked off his tennis journey when he was only four years old by playing at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia.
In 2020, when he was 16 years old, he made his ATP Tour debut at the Rio Open. However, it wasn’t until 2021 that he made headlines by defeating Richard Gasquet in the finals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open in Umag to win the Madrid Open. Alcaraz won the US Open in 2022, the ATP Tour 500 and the Miami Open.
His success is due to the fact that he is a well-rounded tennis player who excels on different surfaces. He favours an aggressive baseline game and places a premium on his forehand, his most consistent and powerful stroke.
He can either play a flat, quick forehand winner on the court or add significant topspin and margin over the net. He can also hit flat, low groundstrokes with his backhand, which he can redirect down the line for winners. An integral part of his game is his drop shot, which he uses in conjunction with his powerful groundstrokes to force his opponents into a defensive stance.
Carlos is a great tennis player but has one major weakness – his first serve. Wilander, a Eurosport expert, noted that the teenage player will still lose to other players because of this weakness at the beginning of his career. Regardless, Carlos delivers a better second serve, to which he can add a topspin to produce a high bounce off the court.
Miami’s Open loss made him persistent ahead of Rolland Garros
Before heading to the French Open, Carlos was one of the high-profile tennis players to take part in the Miami Open. Many punters who enjoy wagering on the sport placed stakes in favour of the talented player at sites recommended by www.bookiesnotongamstop.com. Unfortunately, Alcaraz was beaten by Sinner in the semi-final.
Alcaraz started well in the game, ending the first set in a tiebreaker, but he was clearly exhausted afterwards and was visibly stretching between points in the third set to prevent cramping. Even though Alcaraz got the second set back on serve, Sinner shocked him by breaking him at love in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead.
The loss ended the Spaniard’s winning streak and saw him lose his place at the top of the world rankings to Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz didn’t try to disguise his disappointment at missing out on a rematch with Medvedev, whom he had recently defeated in the final of Indian Wells.
Carlos responded positively when asked if he hated losing more than he loved winning. He noted that everything was like “shit” for him after the loss, and for the next 15 to 25 minutes after the game, he couldn’t speak to anyone. Carlos Alcaraz’s X-rated comment after the Miami Open loss shows how much he wanted to win. With this same determination, he heads to Roland Garros in May.
Reaching on ATP Ranking No1 isn’t for everyone
Alcaraz might have been born to a professional tennis player, but he has a natural talent for the sport. The Spanish player had broken many records, including entering the list of the top 100 youngest players when he was just 18 years old. At 17, he made history as the youngest match winner of the Madrid Open.
There are many other talented young tennis players, but only a few have a better record than Carlos’. His successes and constant improvement are thanks to his discipline and commitment to the game. On an ATP podcast, Carlos’ coach, Ferrero, noted that besides physical training, the young player works with a psychologist to help him handle the demanding nature of the sport.
Although he is one of the most remarkable young tennis players, there are a few areas Carlos must improve in to become an even better player. As already mentioned, his first serve is weak, and this flaw could cost him when playing against other strong players. Besides this, his gameplay is impressive and is bound to get better with time.
2023 is not the first year that Carlos will be in the French Open. The Spanish player made his French Open debut in 2021, where he got to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. With this, he became the youngest tennis player to reach the third round since 1992. In 2022, he managed to get to the quarterfinals of the French Open.
If he wins the 2023 French Open, he will get his second Grand Slam title. True, he has Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to contend with, but with his improved skill and motivation from the Miami Open loss, Carlos has what it takes to emerge victorious at the 2023 French Open.
