It seemed as if the incredible Grand Slam statistics of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer may never be beaten, but Carlos Alcaraz is wasting little time in suggesting he is on course to track down the game’s all-time greats.
At the tender age of 22, Alcaraz is already placing his name alongside some of he game’s greatest champions after he lifted a sixth Grand Slam title by winning the US Open on Sunday.
The Spaniard’s second US Open win was arguably his most emphatic yet, as he bounced back from losing the Wimbledon final against Jannik Sinner in July to lift the title in New York and gain revenge on the Italian in the last match in New York for 2025.
This was a moment when Alcaraz elevated his already exalted status to a new level, with some even suggesting it may not be long before he puts himself in the debate to be considered the greatest male tennis player of all-time.
He still has some way to go to break Djokovic’s record of 24 Grand Slam wins, but if he continues to collect the biggest prizes in tennis at his current rate of around two a year, he will be getting into double figures for Grand Slams by the time he hits 25.
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The debate over whether Alcaraz and Sinner have raised the levels in mens tennis beyond the amazing heights achieved by Djokovic, Federer and Nadal has been raging for some time and now leading coach Patrick Mouratoglou has waded in on whether the ‘Big 3’ are set to be overtaken by the new guns leading men’s tennis as he made his comments in a LinkedIn post.
“If you look at the stats, now that he has won six Grand Slams on three different surfaces, Carlos Alcaraz is ahead compared to anybody else in the history of men’s tennis. Including Rafael Nadal,” declared Mouratoglou, who is the former coach of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
“He’s only 22.5 years old. Since his first Grand Slam win at the 2022 US Open, he’s won one Grand Slam out of every two he’s played. There were 13 events – he won six, Sinner four, Novak three.
“But he literally won six out of 12 because Alcaraz didn’t play the 2023 Australian Open due to injury.
“That’s an incredible rhythm. If Carlos plays ten more years, which is probable, he’s on track to beat the all-time record set by Djokovic with 24 trophies.
“Of course, it’s early to think about that. But if you consider the quality of his game, his physical abilities, and his incredible motivation, we can already put it on the table.”
Mouratoglou went on to suggest Alcaraz and Sinner could be winning Grand Slam titles for the next 10 to 15 years and if they do that, there is a chance both of them could get close to 20 or more majors.
“Anything can happen,” he added. “Alcaraz can get injuries. Sinner can find durable solutions. But those two guys are constantly pushing each other. This is going to be the story of the next 10 to 15 years – a fight between two players progressing, knowing each other better, and finding solutions.
“Maybe a third guy will enter. Who knows? That’s what Federer and Nadal had to deal with when Novak popped up.
“But that’s not my point. I just want people to realise that Carlos is on pace to become the best of all time.”
Djokovic fans will always insist their man is the ultimate GOAT of men’s tennis, but Alcaraz is eyeing up a shot at the biggest champions in tennis as he continues to take his game to new heights.
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