At only 19, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is the world No 6 and his success – coming from an explosive, dynamic game and supreme athleticism – has seen his popularity explode
For over a decade, men’s tennis has been searching for new stars to follow up the dominance of its big three; Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. New generations have risen and fallen, waves of hype behind some promising young players have long sputtered out, while other extremely talented players have simply not measured up to their dominance. Deep into their 30s, Nadal and Djokovic have remained the safest bet to win most grand slam titles in recent years.
In the twilight of their careers, however, a new player has arrived who has positioned himself to succeed more than any other before him, the Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz. Ever since he won his first ATP challenger match aged 15, Alcaraz has had eyes on his tennis and expectations on his shoulders.