“For him to be relevant, he has to…,” Mats Wilander urges Carlos Alcaraz to maintain his tennis level going forward

Wilander wants Alcaraz to be the face of tennis.

“For him to be relevant, he has to…,” Mats Wilander urges Carlos Alcaraz to maintain his tennis level going forward

Mats Wilander and Carlos Alcaraz (via Imago)

World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz secured his third Grand Slam title in three years after landing his first Roland Garros title on Sunday. The Spaniard overcame Alexander Zverev in five sets, 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, to wear the crown of Paris.

The tennis world was full of praise for Alcaraz. In the buildup to the final, tennis legend John McEnroe called him better than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic at the age of 21. Eurosport pundit Mats Wilander also explained the Spaniard’s significance to the game.

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We need Carlos Alcaraz more than anything else in our sport right now. And I think that for him to be relevant, he has to continue to win maybe one Major per year. If he does that, he will stay relevant and he will change our sport in many ways, the way people look at tennis because he is such a breath of fresh air. He's smiling, he's humble – his speech was excellent, so it's a good thing for professional tennis.
Mats Wilander said on Eurosport

Alcaraz’s first Roland Garros title puts him level on the Grand Slam tally with Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. He’s also the first player since the Swiss to win three Grand Slam titles in three different tournaments.

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Having already matched Wawrinka and Murray in the major tally, Alcaraz is now aiming for bigger goals. The numbers of the Big Three seem like a daunting task at the moment, but he is on the right track and has a great team around him to keep him on his toes.

Winning the Roland Garros final was not easy for Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz‘s remarkable success at such a young age leaves ample room for further growth and development. However, during the final two matches of his title-winning campaign, comparisons to the legendary figures of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams were inevitable. These icons of the sport demonstrated a remarkable ability to mask their nervousness during pivotal moments throughout their careers.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Via Imago)

In contrast, Alcaraz’s emotions were palpable during his grueling five-set victories over Jannik Sinner in the semi-final and Alexander Zverev in the final. The magnitude of the occasion, compounded by the absence of any member of the Big Three in the Roland Garros final for the first time since 2004, was evident on their faces, with nerves seemingly overwhelming.

Throughout both matches, Alcaraz struggled with cramps at crucial junctures, leading to fluctuations in momentum and performance levels for both him and his opponents. Only when he found himself trailing two sets to one, the Spaniard managed to regroup and mount a comeback.

Despite his inexperience, Alcaraz has displayed an impressive ability to compose himself under pressure, consistently delivering his best tennis when it matters most, even amidst internal struggles during a match. However, to emulate the achievements of the tennis greats who amassed major titles at an astonishing rate, the newly ranked World No.2 faces the next challenge of becoming a more efficient player.

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