Carlos Alcaraz will ‘lead new generation’ claims Roland Garros finalist
Carlos Alcaraz has been backed to lead the next generation by Roland Garros finalist and former No.2 Magnus Norman, who believes that there will be a new men’s major champion in 2023.
Alcaraz has had a dramatic rise over the past year, winning the US Open to become the youngest ever No.1 and three Masters 1000 crowns.
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have dominated men’s tennis in the 21st century, winning 60 of the last 74 Grand Slam titles.
However, Norman believes that the emergence of Alcaraz and others signals a change, “There is a change at the top. Roger retired, Novak is on top, but Rafa is going down from the looks of it right now.”
“There is a whole new generation knocking on the door, led by Alcaraz, who has already won a Slam. [Alexander] Zverev is coming back, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, [Nick] Kyrgios, Felix [Auger-Aliassime] is playing very well, [Jannik] Sinner of course.”
The Swede added, “I do expect a new Grand Slam champion in 2023.”
Carlos Alcaraz and other new Grand Slam champions in the ‘big three’ era
Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, and since then there have been nine new Grand Slam champions that are not called Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.
Here are when these nine players won their first major:
2003 – Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3 7-6(2) 6-3, to win the US Open
2004 – Gaston Gaudio beat Guillermo Coria, 0-6 3-6 6-4 6-1 8-6, to win Roland Garros
2009 – Juan Martin del Potro beat Roger Federer, 3-6 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2, to win the US Open
2012 – Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic, 7-6(10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2, to win the US Open
2014 – Stan Wawrinka beat Rafael Nadal, 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3, to win the Australian Open
– Marin Cilic beat Kei Nishikori, 6-3 6-3 6-3, to win the US Open
2020 – Dominic Thiem beat Alexander Zverev, 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(6), to win the US Open
2021 – Daniil Medvedev beat Novak Djokovic, 6-4 6-4 6-4, to win the US Open
2022 – Carlos Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud, 6-4 2-6 7-6(1) 6-3, to win the US Open
Like Alcaraz, six out of the other eight players all won their first major title in New York at the US Open, with only Gaston Gaudio and Magnus Norman’s student Stan Wawrinka winning elsewhere.
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