Carlos Alcaraz Warned He Could Fall Short of Becoming Legend and Reach Level of Big 3

Carlos Alcaraz is injured at the moment. During the Barcelona Open, he suffered a serious injury to his right wrist, which forced him to hand the walkover to Tomas Machac in the second round.

As expected, Alcaraz will also not be playing at the Madrid Open for the second consecutive time. The main draw of the second Masters 1000 event on clay is scheduled to start on April 22, and Alcaraz, a two-time champion, will only see the No.1 ranking continue to slip away from him if his arch-rival Jannik Sinner, who has no points to defend, clinches the title.

Alcaraz kick-started his campaign for the 2026 season in an emphatic fashion, having won back-to-back titles at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open. His win at Melbourne Park has made him the youngest male career Grand Slam champion.

Many believe that if Alcaraz continues to win Majors at this rate, he will soon find himself at the level of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. But one thing can stop him from achieving that: injuries, according to 1968 Australian Open finalist Juan Gisbert. But before giving his opinion on the seven-time Major champion, the 84-year-old Spaniard talked about the talented players that Spain has been producing.

Years ago, we were talking about the need for someone to come up after Nadal to keep the sport alive… and then Carlitos came along, a phenomenon. Thanks to him, tennis continues its upward trajectory, so we have to thank him. [Rafa] Jodar also plays very well; we talked about him a lot at lunch. It’s surprising how calmly he plays.

Juan Gisbert said (H/T: Punto de Break)

Last year, Alcaraz played the finals at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, losing only the grass-court Major to Sinner. In his fourth consecutive Major final appearance in this year’s Australian Open, the World No.2 upset Djokovic in four sets.

Almost certainly, yes, but it depends… you know what? On injuries. You never really know. I’ve seen great players who were destined to be legends, and then they fell short because of too many injuries.

Juan Gisbert added

Alcaraz wanted to play five tournaments on this year’s clay swing, but the injury ruined his plans. If he returns to action for the Italian Open, he will have a total of 3,000 points to defend in Rome and at Roland Garros.

Jamie Murray on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s comparison to the Big 3

Are Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner playing at a higher level than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray? John McEnroe and Mats Wilander think the top two players are producing the best tennis, but former doubles World No.1 Jamie Murray is not of the same opinion. He explained when exactly Alcaraz and Sinner should be compared to the legendary Big 4.

I would never say who is better or not, but until those guys [Alcaraz and Sinner] get up to 18, 19, 20 Grand Slams, it’s tough to say that those other guys [Big 4] weren’t the greatest.

Jamie Murray said on the Off Court with Greg podcast

Djokovic, the only member of the quartet that has yet to hang up his racket, withdrew from the Madrid Open due to an injury. Sinner, a one-time quarterfinalist in the event, will be chasing his third title on clay following his wins at the 2022 Croatia Open and this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.

The Italian ace completed the Sunshine Double before his Monte Carlo win and is on a 22-match winning streak in Masters 1000 events. Last year on the clay swing, he reached the finals of the Italian Open and the French Open.

Also read: Flavio Cobolli Urges His Girlfriend to ‘Stay Home’ After Losing Munich Open Final

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