The Arrival Of Carlos Alcaraz Signals A New Dawn In Men’s Tennis
It is a strange truth that no matter how inevitable an event may be, its arrival is often still of great surprise.
It was, of course, inevitable that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer would one day no longer be the toughest men to be beat in professional tennis. Tennis players are human beings after all, and for the simplest and most fundamental of reasons, this period of astounding golden glory was always destined to be just that – a finite period.
And yet, their dominance was so total, their abilities so supreme, and the longevity of their careers so elongated, there remained a child-like voice deep within most tennis fans, telling us – against our better judgement – that perhaps, just perhaps, they’d be the best forever.
Indeed, for a good while it looked that way. At least, it looked as though each would play out their careers being the very best the ATP Tour had to offer.
immovable Novak and nadal
Only one year ago, almost to the day, Nadal beat Djokovic in the final of the 2021 Italian Open. During their respective runs, each had faced being knocked out to younger talents earmarked for the future, only for both to pull back from the brink and emerge victorious. Novak was a set and a break down against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-final before coming back to win, while Rafa saved match points against Denis Shapovalov to take the match. The narrative of the past decade-and-a-half was still firmly on track.
Following their 57th meeting in the final a few days later, Djokovic turned to Nadal during his runners-up speech and declared, with only the tiniest hint of irony, “Rafa, Roger and myself… we are the next gen”, prompting a sincere, knowing smile from Nadal. In what is not always the warmest of friendships between the two, this was a genuine moment of joint respect. They were undeniably still the best male tennis players on Earth, and they appreciated just what a special thing that was to share.
Novak’s comment had come after a season of yet more media swirl regarding when the next generation would fully arrive, in what form, and if it was even possible that anyone could actually usurp the Big Three while they were still around.
Despite the joy surrounding the barely believable notion that tennis was still celebrating these all-time greats, it had become tapered with a subtle but very real feeling of exasperation that no one from generations below had yet risen to take the mantle. The question had been posed for too long, the issue had become platitudinous, and the longer-term future of men’s tennis began to look ominously flat in comparison to the years gone by.
Over the course of the next year, Djokovic came right up to the brink of a calendar Grand Slam, only for Daniil Medvedev to superbly and deservedly take the title. Yet the occasion somehow lacked that formative feeling of transition many were looking for – that abstract but unmistakeable sense of a page being turned and a new chapter beginning.
Perhaps this was because the weight of history prevented Novak from reaching his highest level in that match, and few really believed that Medvedev – as formidable as he is – stood much of a chance against a peak Djokovic.
Four months later, a 35-year-old Rafael Nadal then achieved his most incredible Grand Slam triumph in Australia, again facing Medvedev in the final. After months of no competition, injury, and illness, the Spanish veteran once again wound back all the clocks, defied all logic, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in that Australian Open final.
This was the catalyst for a sensational 20-match winning streak for Nadal, only ending when injury intervened in the Indian Wells final.
Djokovic, meanwhile, had not had a chance to attack the season with any real purpose due to restrictions around the competitions he could play in. But he remained the World No. 1, the holder of two Slam titles, and still the standard-setter for the rest of the tour.
But something else was stirring quietly against the backdrop of Nadal’s early-season domination, and the headlines that had kept Djokovic at the forefront of tennis’ consciousness. There were early tremors from under the surface that signified something potentially exciting. These signals became louder and clearer with each month of the new season that passed. It wasn’t long before they had rumbled into Europe in the form of a full-blown earthquake, and the face of men’s tennis was irrevocably changed.
The arrival of Alcaraz
It was Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.
The electricity that has emanated from this Spanish teenager over the past three months has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has garnered unparalleled attention and excitement, standing out in an age where over-inflated hype and instant gratification often render genuinely game-changing events indistinguishable from momentary trends.
The risk is obvious. The possibility that young Carlos Alcaraz may be another product of the modern age’s thirst for sensationalism is of course one that warrants serious trepidation. But on examination, the results are quite clear. Having spent the past three months scrupulously analysing this 19-year-old’s game, the tennis world is rightly jubilant in its assertion that it has uncovered a truly rare diamond.
The early signs were there in Melbourne at the year’s opening Grand Slam, where Alcaraz burst through his first two rounds with an athleticism that drew sharp intakes of breath, before he succumbed in five marvellous sets to Matteo Berrettini. What followed was his first ATP 500-level victory on the clay courts of Rio de Janeiro, where he avenged his third-round Australian Open defeat to the aforementioned Italian, as well as dispatching clay-court specialists Schwartzman and Fognini – both of whom boasted far more experience than young Carlos.
Then came a near flawless run to the semi-finals of Indian Wells – Alcaraz’s maiden last-four outing at Masters 1000 level – where he lost a very closely fought contest with his idol, Rafael Nadal. Two weeks later, he became the third youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion ever at the Miami Open. With that victory, Alcaraz confirmed his status as one of the world’s best.
In the ten day gap that followed the Miami final and his opening match at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the rapture surrounding Carlos Alcaraz reached feverish levels. It was therefore a sucker-punch for many, given the history of overly-hyped players of recent years, that Alcaraz lost that opening-round match against the hugely impressive Sebastian Korda.
But it needn’t have been. Losses are a frequent occurrence for even the most infallible players, and this defeat did little to blemish the reputation Alcaraz had been building all season.
Seminal Victories
The teenage Spaniard reeled off the next ten matches in a row to claim another ATP 500 crown in Barcelona, as well as a second Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open. In doing so, he became the youngest ever winner of the event, and the second-youngest player to win two Masters 1000 titles – after an 18-year-old Rafael Nadal accomplished the feat in 2005.
But most significant of all that Carlos Alcaraz has achieved over the past three months are his quarter-final and semi-final victories in Madrid, en route to the title. Just a day after turning the tender age of 19, Señor Alcaraz defeated his childhood idol and compatriot, Nadal. That this win was earned on clay against the greatest clay-court player of all time should be testament enough to Alcaraz’s supreme talent.
But the fact that a young Spaniard overcame the great Rafael Nadal in front of their fellow compatriots, in the heady altitude of Spain’s capital city, is symbolic of the greater implications of this victory. This match will resonate through tennis’ rich history, eventually cementing its place as one of the greatest pivot-points we have witnessed – if it hasn’t already.
History and symbolism aside, it should be noted that Nadal was not at his physical apex, coming back from six weeks off with a fractured rib. But this does little to detract from the magnitude of what Alcaraz achieved here.
A day later, just for good measure, he then defeated a Novak Djokovic who certainly was at, or very near, his absolute imperious best. It will surely go down as one of the best matches of the season, as both players displayed a genuinely shocking level of athleticism, tennis acuity, and jaw-dropping technical ability. But it was Alcaraz who came out on top, and it was he who went on to seal the title a day later.
That latest victory brought him to an incredible 28-3 win-loss record for the season, having won four titles, and winning eight of his past nine matches against top-10 opposition.
Yet some may argue, because of great form, we may be in peril of falling victim to recency bias when talking up Alcaraz – a legitimate concern.
However, what is so astonishing about all of this is that recent results are not even the most impressive thing about Carlos Alcaraz. It is his style of play that makes him so different.
Peerless Panache
He draws no real parallels for comparison. At such a young age, and so early in his career, he has already set an entirely new standard of tennis. The combination of sheer speed, strength, and power, together with an innate intelligence and unerring ability to choose the right shot at the right time, all propel this young man to a height we arguably have not seen.
Of particular note is his abundant use of exquisitely-executed drop shots. Never before has this shot been used so frequently, to such devastating effect, and with such perfect technique. It is quite breathtaking how Alcaraz is able to terminate high-speed rallies from the baseline with an unexpected drop shot – often on big points too.
It is the perfect supplement to such intimidating power off both wings, and his ferocious, high-octane brand of defence. He is already one of the most feared returners on tour, and his rapid groundspeed lays the foundation for those scintillating defensive capabilities. Other than a serve that could do with some fine-tuning, he has an absolutely flawless game.
It speaks volumes that Alcaraz is now being spoken of, correctly, as a genuine Grand Slam contender at the age of 19. Testament to this is the fact that he is already scheduling matches in the manner of the game’s elite, having shrewdly taken the decision to skip a tournament with the prestige of Rome to focus his efforts on the Grand Slam glory of Roland Garros.
The best way to gauge a player’s prowess, however, is through the opinion of those who have actually played them. Djokovic recently called him “the best player in the world, no question”. Ttsitsipas, four years Alcaraz’s senior, said of the young Spaniard, “He inspires me a lot. I really want to be like him, and I look up to him”. The view of his fellow professionals is unanimous – Carlos Alcaraz is the real deal, and is currently the best tennis player on the planet.
A Glorious New Dawn
It is not that the previous era is over. Evidently, and to our gratitude, it is not. But men’s tennis has now entered new territory. Whether the Big Three win or don’t win a Grand Slam no longer depends on fortune or fitness, but whether or not they can overcome a player who is quite possibly better than them. This has never been the case before.
It was always a question of when, not if, a player would supersede those that have dominated tennis for the majority of this century. It is simply an inevitable, and necessary, part of the perpetual cycle that is the passing of the generations.
But the generation of Roger, Rafa and Novak was not simply another cycle. It was not merely a great era. It was, by a chasm, the greatest era in history. It redefined what success is. It elevated the platform of high-quality tennis to something previously unimagined. It is, in its own right, unmatchable – regardless of how things take shape in the future.
Quite probably, this is why a successor took so long to emerge. Several phenomenal tennis players have arrived and been knocking loudly on the door to the top. But they have thus far, through no real fault of their own, all fallen short of that seemingly unreachable standard set by those who came just before.
There were many wondering if and when such a player would, or could, ever arrive with what was needed to reach the heights of the last two decades.
We now have confirmation. Someone could, and that someone has.
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia has arrived.
With him, the tennis world emerges somewhat dazed and dumbstruck from the last twenty years, and we stand blinking in the early light of a glorious new dawn.
Jamie Smith writes for The Slice from England
