Carlos Alcaraz made history on Sunday, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the ‘Career Grand Slam’ at men’s singles events.
After falling behind early in the Australian Open final, Alcaraz stormed back to claim a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory over 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz, who has won his first Grand Slam since splitting from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, has now equalled John McEnroe and Mats Wilander’s total of seven Grand Slam singles titles.
What do you think is Carlos Alcaraz’s best surface and why?
Alcaraz is now one Slam away from matching the totals of Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, and Andre Agassi.
Connors, a five-time US Open champion, has compared himself to Alcaraz following the young Spaniard’s triumph in Melbourne.
Jimmy Connors likens himself to Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking on the Advantage Connors podcast, Connors reflected on the recent dominance of Alcaraz – arguing that the Spaniard is now the man to beat on the ATP Tour.
“The way he’s played the last couple years, he’s not losing to many guys,” Connors said. “The only guy he’s losing to really is Sinner along the way.
“Getting himself up for those matches, especially in the Grand Slams, you know everybody is shooting for him, and he realises that.
“I always liked that. Knowing that everybody was after me and wanted to beat me and just did. It did something to me to try to play a little better to raise my game to a newer height.
“He’s 22 years old and man oh man look at the energy he puts into it. Man it’s fun to watch him play”
Connors, like Alcaraz, achieved much success early on in his tennis career. Connors won three Grand Slam singles titles before the age of 23, while Alcaraz has won seven.
Connors won five more major titles before his retirement in 1996 at the age of 43. The American’s last Grand Slam triumph occurred in 1984, when he defeated John McEnroe in the Wimbledon final.
Jimmy Connors’s 2023 Carlos Alcaraz prediction
Following Alcaraz’s maiden Wimbledon triumph in 2023, Jimmy Connors made a prediction regarding the amount of Grand Slams Alcaraz could win before the end of his career.
Alcaraz had won his second Grand Slam title with victory against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon Men’s Singles final.
On an episode of the Advantage Connors podcast, Connors said: “If he [Alcaraz] plays 12 more years, that’s 48 Grand Slams.
Can Carlos Alcaraz win MORE Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic? 🤔
“If he doesn’t get too full of himself, I’d say [he could win] 15. That is if he doesn’t think he doesn’t have to work hard and it’ll come easy. He needs to continue what he’s doing and looks like he will.
“There’ll be some young kids coming up now that will see him who are 17 or 18 who will believe that if he can do it, I can do it.
“He’s going to set the bench. It all depends on what comes behind him because he knows what’s in front of him. I don’t think he’s afraid of that.”
Will Alcaraz surpass the 15-Slam benchmark? It certainly seems likely considering the progress Alcaraz has made in the years following.
The sky is the limit for the youngster, who could end up in the ‘greatest of all time’ conversation by the end of his career.
