Carlos Alcaraz enters the Australian Open with the chance to etch his name in tennis history. A victory would make him the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam, mirroring the feat of his idol, Rafael Nadal. However, his 2024 season, marked by both Grand Slam victories and surprising defeats(like US Open second round defeat against Botic Van de Zandschulp), has drawn criticism regarding his inconsistency. Former Spanish player and world No. 2, Alex Corretja, has a firm response for those questioning Alcaraz’s ability.
Just when you expect Alcaraz to fall, he returns with an exemplary performance, and vice versa. The same happened during the 2024 season. In 2024, he faced a disheartening defeat against Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Nonetheless, he yet again gained the upper ground after he won the French Open finals against Zverev. However, after his win at Wimbledon, the curve again went down as at the US Open. He lost to van de Zandschulp in the second round.
During an interview with the Spanish publication, Marca, when asked about Australian Open favorites this year, Alex Corretja named Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. “Sinner has earned us to give him a little more favoritism, but I have a lot of confidence in Alcaraz’s freshness in the new year.” However, talking about Alcaraz brought the conversation to the criticisms he has received.
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Rating his last season as “exceptional,” Corretja questioned the credibility of his critics. Alcaraz won two Grand Slam titles, and a silver at the Olympics last year. He further said, “I think that many of the people who are giving their opinions have no idea how difficult it is to achieve what he is doing.”
Nonetheless, he acknowledged the Spaniard’s room for improvement while vouching for him for the upcoming season. “Alcaraz is having a great career and still has room for improvement to continue growing. In fact, if Alcaraz did not win a Grand Slam this year, it would be a surprise to me.”
“The criticisms of Alcaraz make me laugh, but they are also enough to make me cry. They are a clear demonstration of the little knowledge we have of things other than our own and the vehemence we have in giving our opinions on them.”
via Reuters Paris 2024 Olympics – Tennis – Men’s Singles Second Round – Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, France – July 29, 2024. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts during his match against Tallon Griekspoor of Netherlands. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Corretja, however, has great hopes for Carlos Alcaraz. He concluded, “What’s more, if Alcaraz did not win a Grand Slam this year, for me, it would be a surprise, starting with Australia. If he is physically fit he can have a great tournament and, why not, win it.”
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Speaking of Australia, Alcaraz himself is gearing up for the 2025 season. Among his ambitious goals for the upcoming year is a subtle warning for his top rivals, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
Alcaraz issues a warning for Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev
After a tumultuous 2024 season with its highs and lows, Alcaraz is now stepping into the Rod Laver Arena with a clear mindset. In contrast to last year’s dreams where he wished to replace Sinner as world No. 1, rankings are not his priority for this season. He said, “For me, the goal is to try to win Grand Slams and Master 1000. That’s for me the most important tournaments of the world. “
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Nonetheless, he did not completely ignore the rankings. Both Alcaraz and Sinner have ended seasons as the world no.1 in 2022 and 2024, respectively. He stated, “Trying to get as close as Jannik or try to pass Zverev as well. So the ranking is there, but mainly the thing for me is the Grand Slams.” Hence it shows that ranking for him currently is a secondary goal rather than a primary one.
The Spaniard is currently world no. 3 inching closer to Zverev’s ranking. However, there’s still a whopping gap of 4,820 points between him and Jannik Sinner, incumbent world No. 1. Do you think this year’s beginning will prove to be a much-needed morale boost for the Spanish tennis star to achieve his desired goal?