‘I’m prepared’ – Carlos Alcaraz ‘confident’ he can win Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz backs himself to win Roland Garros, or at least a Slam, in 2022 following his brilliant run to the Miami Masters title.

The 18-year-old pipped Novak Djokovic’s record to become the youngest ever Miami Open men’s champion and the third youngest Masters champion outright behind Michael Chang and Rafael Nadal.

Now, despite only having played five previous Slam main draws, Alcaraz is targeting a Major triumph in 2022.

He told Marca: “I would say yes, I am prepared.”

“I have confidence, the level, the physical and mental ability to win.

“Maybe not Roland Garros, but a Slam this year, I do see myself as prepared.

“I’m not afraid to say it.”

Alcaraz landed his best Slam run to date at the US Open last year where he reached the quarter-finals before retiring in that match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The young star is not dismissing the rest of the field but still feels he has what it takes to win on the biggest stage this season.

He added: “I know there are great players: there is Nadal, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Zverev, Djokovic.

“But I feel ready to win one, although you don’t know when it might come and the same thing happens with number one.

“I hope it arrives as soon as possible.”

Should the Spaniard indeed win this year’s Roland Garros, he would be the seventh youngest men’s Slam champion in the Open Era at 19 years and 31 days old, just two days older than Pete Sampras was when he won his maiden US Open title in 1990.

Only Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker and Michael Chang were younger when they won their first Major trophies.

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