Rise of Carlos Alcaraz: Men's Tennis Beyond the Big 3 and a Change of Guard

Among the younger players, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz is not just the most skilled, but he also appears to be the most hungry, much like the Big 3—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—when they came as teenagers a few decades ago. Tennis has revolved on the bizarre dominance exhibited by the Big 3, who have won 63 grand slams between them, since the turn of the century. They aren't done yet, certainly not Nadal and Djokovic, but after what happened in New York City over the last two weeks, the game now has a new Prince, who has what it takes to be the future King.

For a long time, at least since 2017, there has been speculation about Gen Next breaking the Big 3 dominance. Players like Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov, and others showed potential, occasionally challenging Nadal and Djokovic on the circuit, but the domination factor was lacking with any of the next-generation rivals until Carlos Alcaraz emerged on the scene.

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The 19-year-old was crowned the new world number 1 following his electrifying performance at the 2022 US Open, in which he also went the distance and won his first major grand slam. In a grueling four-set contest, Alcaraz defeated Norway's Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the US Open final. Alcaraz, who is 19 years and 4 months old, has surpassed former Australian tennis great Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20 years and 9 months old when he reached the top of the men's ATP rankings in November 2001.

"It is something I have dreamt of since I was a kid. To be No. 1 in the world, to be champion of a Grand Slam, is something I have worked really, really hard for," Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony.

"It is tough to talk right now, I have lots of emotions. This is something I have tried to achieve. All the hard work I have done with my team and my family. I am just 19 years old, all the tough decisions have been with my parents and my team as well. It is something that is really special for me."

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Alcaraz is also the youngest Grand Slam champion since fellow countryman Rafael Nadal, who won the title at Roland Garros at the age of 19. He is also the youngest man in the United States Open champion since Pete Sampras in 1990, when the American was only 19 years old.

Carlos, on his path to his first grand slam title, also put in the most time on the court. To reach his first grand slam final, the 19-year-old won three straight five-set victories, spending 20 hours and 19 minutes on court across six matches. Despite this, Alcaraz defeated Ruud with no signs of tiredness. Perhaps he was motivated by a strong ambition to be the best player in men's tennis right now.

"There is no time to be tired in the final rounds of a Grand Slam. You have to be ready and give everything you have inside. It is something I work really hard for," Alcaraz was quoted as saying by ATP.

Carlos Alcaraz: Spirit of the future

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It's fair to say that the last two weeks in New York City have been transformative for men's tennis, or at least a step forward beyond the shadows of the Big 3. Carlos Alcaraz, seen as the next big thing in men's tennis, lived up to his potential and was rewarded with his maiden major title. His grit, determination, and never-say-die attitude helped him overcome difficult situations such as the five-set quarter-final match against Jannik Sinner, and of course, there was this exuberance of youth that helped him challenge the challengers in his own inhibited style, such as the epic semi-final match against USA's Frances Tiafoe.

Of course, just winning the U.S. Open by no means opens the doors to greatness for Carlos Alcaraz, but at least the teenager is on the right track.

"He's one of these few rare talents that comes up every now and then in sports. That's what it seems like. Let's see how his career develops, but it's going all in the right direction." Ruud said during the trophy ceremony.

Former world number 1 and Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, is happy of his ward's accomplishments but warns that the competition will only grow stiffer in the coming days.

“The other day I said that maybe Sinner and Carlos could dominate the Tour for maybe the next 10 years, from what I saw, the level that I saw the other day,” Ferrero said.

“Of course, there are other players like Zverev, Thiem, Casper, Tsitsipas, they going to be there, they going to have opportunities to win Grand Slams for sure.”

Alcaraz had a difficult but profitable year in 2022, finishing with five ATP championships, including a grand slam, ahead of Rafael Nadal (4), Andrey Rublev (3), and Casper Ruud (2). (3). He also has the most wins of any player in 2022, with 51 triumphs, followed by Tsitsipas with 46 victories.

Carlos Alcaraz's ascension to the top

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Before becoming the winner in New York City, Alcaraz made a reputation for himself by upsetting both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to win the Madrid Open earlier this year. The floodgates had opened, and the Spanish adolescent only had to wait and see when and where it would happen. He was considered one of the favourites to win the French Open in Paris, but Nadal's experience on the red clay helped him win for the 14th time. Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Germany's Alexander Zverev, but whatever tennis he played in Paris, supporters were confident that the young Spaniard's future belonged to him, and it was just a question of time.

The heartbreak in Paris did wonders for Alcaraz in New York. He not only realised his life-long dream, and that too at just 19 years old, but has also become the game's wunderkind. Nothing has come easy for the U.S. Open champion, though, and he has worked hard to get to where he has reached today.

"Nobody gifts you anything, I believe. You don’t just click your fingers and have the world at your feet. You have to work at things. I think what I have achieved, winning a Grand Slam and being No. 1 in the world, is because of the work I’ve been doing with my team for a very long time. It hasn’t been a bed of roses, I’ve had to suffer and go through bad times to get here. I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it." Alcaraz said in an interview with ATP after becoming the world number 1.

Carlos Alcaraz should not be terrified of anything with the world at his feet, but he is. One of his greatest concerns is a failure, and the notion of disappointing a large number of people keeps him awake at night. Carlos Alcaraz has a team of people around him to keep him grounded and motivated, including a mental conditioning coach, family members, and, of course, his coach, Ferrero. Success may alter scenarios and, more significantly, mindsets, but the 19-year-old appears to be in excellent hands for the time being.

Big 3 vs next gen: the battle intensifies

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With the Big Three approaching the twilight of their professional tennis careers, fans should not be concerned, especially with the arrival of talents such as Carlos Alcaraz. Of course, his fitness will be an important aspect in determining how long he can stay at the top. The Spaniard is now at the top of the pack among all next-generation and previous-generation players.

He'll be tested by the likes of Daniil Medvedev and others, but isn't that where the real fun is? The more difficult the competition, the greater the opportunity for fans to appreciate and rejoice.

The one thing that happens when you win a grand slam is that all of the emphasis and attention is focused on you. Tennis has seen players who have made it into the grand slam club but have not progressed from there. Carlos has no intention of remaining a one-grand slam wonder and has set his sights on new goals.

"Playing against Federer would excite me and beating the 'Big 3' in a Grand Slam. I’ve always said that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. For now, I’m going to think about trying to get the second, which very few people have managed, that’s my goal." Alcaraz added.

With Alcaraz's entry into the grand slam club, one thing is certain: tennis, after a decade-and-a-half of dominance by Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer, now has a credible competitor whose emergence was much-needed for the game to break the monotony and become fascinating once more.

A change of guard in men's tennis was indeed necessary. Carlos, you nailed it!

Also Read: Rafa - Nadal, and clay are inseparable!

(The author has a lot of expertise in creating sports content for television and other digital platforms.?He follows tennis closely and has witnessed the dominance of the Big 3 right through his sports journalism career.)