“We Are Looking at a Future World No. 1!” Prakash Amritraj LAUDS Carlos Alcaraz for his title triumph at Rio
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Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz won the ATP 500 Rio Open, marking yet another watershed point in his career. In the final, Alcaraz, 18, upset third seed Diego Schwartzman 6-4 6-2 to win his second career title. As a 16-year-old, Alcaraz won his first ATP Tour match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the Rio Open two years back. At the same tournament on Sunday, the 18-year-old Spaniard upstaged himself, making more history.
Alcaraz is also creating a lot more for his legacy along the way. With his victory in Rio, he became the youngest ATP 500 champion since the category’s inception in 2009. He is also the youngest active player to have broken the world’s top 20.
He is often said to be walking on Rafael Nadal‘s footsteps. It’s not fair to compare him with Nadal but he impeccably seems to be following Rafa’s lead. Nadal won his second professional victory as an 18-year-old in Brazil in 2005. The next week, Nadal won again in Acapulco – something Alcaraz wouldn’t be able to achieve because he withdrew from the Mexico event – and that summer, Nadal won the French Open for the first time. Alcaraz is also the youngest player to get into the top 20 since Nadal in 2005. Since 1990, only Pete Sampras and Andrej Medvedev have been younger.
Prakash Amritraj Lauds Alcaraz
Former doubles player Prakash Amritraj spoke very highly of the 18-year-old. “I’m expecting top 10 from him this year,” he said on Tennis Channel. “I think he is very capable on all surfaces, maybe not grass but we don’t have many tournaments on grass. I think we are looking at a future world No 1.”
“He is going to be top 20 and seeded at Grand Slams and will start to move into the second week of Slams more. Maybe he’s the next teenage Grand Slam champion,” Amritraj added.
Alcaraz lost just one set on his route to the NextGen finals, where he comfortably defeated 21-year-old Sebastian Korda, who should have been his hardest opponent given on the rankings.
Upcoming Tournaments For the Young Star
After the Rio Open, the 18-year-old was scheduled to compete in Acapulco, Mexico. He has, however, withdrawn from the competition owing to soreness in his right elbow. The adolescent will now return to his native country, where he hopes to recover in time for the forthcoming Davis Cup match against Romania early next month. A bright future stands ahead of the new tennis revelation.
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