“Honestly, it is a dream for me winning this trophy. I did an interview when I was 11, and I said my dream is to win Wimbledon,” said Carlos Alcaraz after his triumphant Wimbledon victory at the All-England Club. The spotlight followed him instantly as it was his second GS of the season. And why wouldn’t he celebrate? Winning back-to-back GS in a single year is a rare feat, and adding an Olympic silver made 2024 seem like a dream season for the El Palmar native. However, was it really a year to remember for him? Not entirely. The Spaniard recently opened up about one of the most terrifying phases of his career that unfolded in 2024. What exactly was that?
2024 was a milestone year for the World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz, as he claimed multiple GS titles in a single season for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old captured his maiden Roland-Garros crown and successfully defended his Wimbledon title just a month later while becoming the youngest man in professional tennis history to achieve this feat in the same year. However, before his triumphs, Alcaraz faced an unprecedented setback: an injury unlike any he had experienced before his career. This setback disrupted his preparation for the prestigious French Open and forced him to withdraw from several tournaments later, especially in his home country.
In a recent podcast alongside Molusco TV, which aired 1st match, Alcaraz revealed, “My worst moment in tennis. I think that in 2024 when I got injured. I injured my forearm on the clay tour in April. I had to miss several tournaments that I was really looking forward to playing, especially in my country, Spain. I had many doubts about whether I was going to feel good again, to be able to hit the ball normally because it bothered me. Weeks went by. The doctors told me, no, in two weeks you will be able to play perfectly.”
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Continuing further, he added, “The two weeks would come and again it bothered me, hurt me, so that created a doubt in me of not knowing when I was going to return. Not knowing if I was going to be able to hit my forehand again or the shots normally. And there were super important tournaments in sight.” However, what was the injury he was talking about?
Alcaraz’s injury struggles began at the 2024 Rio Open, where an ankle issue forced him to retire after just two games against the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro. However, he made a strong comeback later, winning the Indian Wells Masters and reaching the Miami Open QF, where he eventually lost to Grigor Dimitrov 2-6, 4-6.
However, a forearm injury soon followed, sidelining him from the Monte Carlo Masters and even the Barcelona Open. However, the current World No. 3 returned to Madrid but fell in the QF before missing the Italian Open later. Entering Roland-Garros with limited match play and a protective sleeve on his right arm, the Spaniard defied the odds, defeating the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev to claim his first Roland Garros title.
Despite making history last year, Alcaraz later lost his top rank to the Italian sensation Jannik Sinner. However, with Sinner now sidelined for at least three months because of a doping controversy, the Spaniard has a golden opportunity to reclaim his position back on top.
Talking about the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, will these two be able to fill the void of the Big 3 in tennis? What does Carlitos think about it?
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“They have set the bar for tennis” — Carlos Alcaraz on replacing the trio of Roger, Rafa, and Novak
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer are quite easily three of the greatest players tennis has ever witnessed. For nearly two decades, they dominated men’s singles, securing an astonishing 66 Grand Slam titles combined among them. Djokovic, however, leads with a record 24 majors, followed by Nadal with 22 and Federer with 20.
Their dominance extended beyond trophies, as they held the top three ATP rankings together on 8 occasions, showcasing their unmatched consistency. Recently, Alcaraz also weighed in on their remarkable legacy, sharing his thoughts on which current players might have the potential to match, or even surpass, their legendary achievements.
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While talking to El Nuevo Día before the charity match in Puerto Rico against Frances Tiafoe, Alcaraz said, “It’s complicated. They have set the bar for tennis and what can be done at a stratospheric level. There are many players capable of winning a ‘grand slam’, of beating the best. Young people, and I include myself, the truth is that they can be fighting there for great things. But to get to the point of that rivalry between Rafa, Federer, and Djokovic, the truth is that this is practically going to be impossible to repeat. We will have our battles; I will have my battles with great players, but a rivalry like theirs will be practically impossible.”
Well, he is not wrong. A few years down the road, we will see where the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry stands, but for now, Carlitos will want to achieve some consistency which he has struggled for recently. Are you backing him for a deep run at the upcoming BNP Paribas Open? Share your thoughts below!