Carlos Alcaraz: Out of the Shadow - Issue #3
After 2 decades of men’s tennis dominated by the Big 3, a Spanish teenager breathes new life into the game.
Written by Dove Sallow
At the start of the US Open, there was much talk about Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal, and even Nick Kyrgios winning the title this year. Very few people believed that 19 year-old Carlos Alcaraz would walk away with his first grand slam and the number 1 ranking. Looking back at the way he played these past two weeks, it begs the question - why?
It could be because the last 20 years of men’s tennis have been dominated by 3 men almost exclusively. The shadow that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have cast over men’s tennis is truly mind-boggling. On the women’s side, we are at a place where we believe anything is possible. We’ve seen the teenage qualifier Emma Raducanu come out of virtually nowhere and win the US Open without dropping a single set. We’ve also seen players like Barbora Krejcikova, Jelena Ostapenko, and Bianca Andreescu beat the odds to lift their trophies and rise to the top of the sport. The men’s field has been so closed off by the Big 3 that the thought of a teenager winning the US Open was just not on people’s minds.
Carlos Alcaraz has been talked about as the next big champion for the last year or so, but I don’t think we thought his moment would come so soon. Even with him beating both Nadal and Djokovic to claim the title in Madrid, a grand slam still seemed an awfully big feat for a teenager to conquer. When Daniil Medvedev lost to Nick Kyrgios, Nick was touted as the favorite by ESPN commentary and tennis fans alike. When Rafael Nadal lost early in the fourth round to Frances Tiafoe, Kyrgios certainly became the favorite in everyone’s eyes. This could be because Nick had achieved a grand slam final a few weeks prior at Wimbledon. But when comparing Nick and Carlos side by side, Carlos is clearly the better player, both physically and mentally. The Big 3 have put up a wall that is so dominant in grand slams that a teenage male champion didn’t seem possible, but walls are meant to be broken.
Carlos’ performance in New York was nothing short of jaw-dropping. He displayed all three qualities that have made the Big 3 so untouchable - the fighting qualities/mental tenacity of Rafael Nadal; the defensive abilities of Novak Djokovic, and the aggression/finesse of Roger Federer. He hits the ball harder than all 3 and probably moves better as well. His game is the most complete we have ever seen in a 19 year old male, period. He still has things he could improve on (first serve percentage/placement, shot selection, stop double faulting on break point, etc.), but his athletic ability is truly sensational.
His match against another young talent, Jannik Sinner, was probably the match of the tournament. It needs to be said that Jannik is also a once in a life time talent and probably would’ve won the tournament if Carlos did not stand in his way. Both players were absolutely thrashing the ball and moving excellently. Some of the shots these two were able to come up with on the run almost seemed like they defied basic physics. As the match progressed, it became abundantly clear that what we were witnessing was much more than a tennis match - this was the future of men’s tennis. Jannik eventually worked his way into a position where he had match point on his own serve, but Carlos fought it off and found a way to win the match.
Twitter erupted with what they were lucky enough to witness. It was impossible to not think of the great Rafael Nadal when looking at this brilliant Spanish teenager. Staring down match point, finding a way to win against all odds, and eventually winning the title… all without smashing a tennis racket? Rafael Nadal is one of the most beloved champions of all time, and so much of this is due to the way he composes himself on court and how he walks through life. Carlos has idolized him since he was a child, so the comparison seems fitting.
If he is to have a career that resembles anything close to that of his idol, Carlos Alcaraz is determined to do it his own way. By winning the US Open, he became the youngest male US Open champion since Pete Sampras. He is now also the youngest world number 1 in ATP history. No teenager has ever been able to reach the number one spot, but to do so while Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are all still active is mind-blowing.
I don’t believe the Big 3’s dominance is over. I believe Nadal will keep winning grand slams, as will Djokovic, and Federer can always make a run at Wimbledon. But Carlos Alcaraz has undoubtedly inserted himself into the equation in every grand slam he plays from here on out. He has started the conversation of “possibilities” and “will he win more than the Big 3?” Most importantly, Carlos Alcaraz has done it his way, with his own unique brand of tennis. His idol may be Rafa, but the world now recognizes that Carlitos can have a legend of his own.