Carlos Alcaraz has had a season of ups and downs, in which he has shown that he can become one of the best players of all time if he continues to improve over the next few years. When he is at his best, the 21-year-old from Murcia is almost unstoppable and was the only player to beat Jannik Sinner three times in 2024.
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The four-time Grand Slam champion became the youngest player of all time to win the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships in the same season, reaching a high point in the Championship final against a legend like Novak Djokovic. Previously, the Spanish ace had won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 for the second time in a row confirming that he has a very special feeling with that tournament. Carlitos was hoping to win the gold medal for his country at the Paris Olympics, but his run came to a halt in the final against an amazing version of Nole Djokovic.
The Serbian champion - who dreamed of completing the puzzle in Paris - played a fantastic match in the final and won two tiebreaks before breaking down into tears. That defeat weighed heavily on the mind of Alcaraz, who played a bad US Open leaving in the first week.
An amazing rivalry
The 21-year-old from Murcia has found his feet again thanks to the Davis Cup and the Laver Cup, which gave him the boost to win the ATP 500 in Beijing in a beautiful final against Sinner.Carlitos failed to repeat in Shanghai the following week, where he was caught in the quarterfinals by a wild Tomas Machac. Despite winning two Majors and a Masters 1000 this year, Alcaraz is far from Sinner in the ATP ranking. The 23-year-old Italian has been crazy this year, losing just six matches from January to date.
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Sinner has earned himself full credit in recent months illustrious comparisons with the greatest tennis legends. Many have said that the physical and technical characteristics of the player who most resembles him is Novak Djokovic, with whom he faced a few days ago in the final in Shanghai, won by the Italian. The two will face each other again in todays match valid for the semi-finals of the rich tournament exhibition Six Kings Slam.
The Italian tennis player has beaten for the eighth time in the last nine matches Daniil Medvedev, inflicting a hard lesson on him, which the Russian did not take willingly. The next challenge between the worlds number one and the Serbian will decide the first finalist, who will instead compete with the winner between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
A very high level
Many in the last few months have said nice words for the Italian ace, author of a season so far absolutely extraordinary. Corrado Barazzutti also did the same, and he compared it to Djokovic and Alcaraz: "Sinner can become like Nole, yes. They are two champions who have many characteristics in common: they love to hit from the baseline, move the game and command it and do not particularly like to go down to net", he said in an interview with Libero.
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The former captain of the Italian team in Davis Cup is convinced, however, that Alcaraz still has something more to the Italian champion: "Alcaraz has a objectively more complete arsenal of shots. His tennis is very close to that of Federer, it is varied and able to generate greater versatility even in times of difficulty. I think that the Spanish, if in day, still has a little more. Also, dont forget, he is two years younger than Jannik and therefore has the possibility to raise his level of play even further as he did and is doing now. Finally, about the chances of winning the ATP Finals in Turin: "Absolutely. Its not coming from number 1?" he concluded.
Jannik is playing at a very high level. After their match at the 'Six Kings Slam' in Saudi Arabia, Medvedev admitted to being impressed: I never played, in my opinion, against someone who played like Jannik today. I couldnt do anything. I didnt know what to do. I usually think of Jannik as a little more steady, more like a car, while Alcaraz is a bit more, you know, swinging with some class. But when Carlos is at his best, I consider him slightly better. But lets talk about the top level. I changed my mind today. Ive never played against someone who has played like Jannik today. It was a difficult feeling in the field because I felt good, I was fighting well; physically I felt good. My tennis was not so bad, and I lost, which I dont remember ever. It happened."
