- Tennis legend Mats Wilander believes Carlos Alcaraz will win at least 15 Grand Slams
- Alcaraz won his second Grand Slam 10 months after his first victory
- Alcaraz’s backhand playing style got to Djokovic
With his second major win at Wimbledon tennis legend Mats Wilander believes Carlos Alcaraz will win at least 15 Grand Slams in his career.
Alcaraz won his second Grand Slam 10 months after his first victory in a major tournament at the US Open.
The 20-year-old Spaniard scooped Wimbledon victory with 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 against Novak Djokovic.
His technique was top notch that he broke all of Djokovic’s serves. Alcaraz’s backhand playing style got to Djokovic and broke him internally that they lost four sets to the Spaniard.
It was a tremendous match, and Alcaraz had an unbelievable performance. To win, he had to have unwavering self-confidence and consistently execute shots of the highest calibre throughout the course of five sets.
In addition to Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Daniil Medvedev and Roger Federer, the world No. 1 is the only other player who defeated Djokovic in a Grand Slam final.
Carlos Alcaraz. Photo/ News Unrolled.
Wilander having closely watched Wimbledon stated that Alcaraz is an incredible player with a well-fed penchant for success.
He has won 12 ATP titles since turning pro in the ATP Tour and has two Grand Slams. Wilander attributes this success to Alcaraz’s ability to learn fast which is his biggest strength.
“We’ve seen enough from Carlos Alcaraz during these [Wimbledon] Championships that tells us that he – first of all he is a very quick learner. He adjusted to the most difficult surface we have in our sport,” the former Swedish tennis player told Eurosport.
He further noted that Alcaraz took three weeks to prepare for Wimbledon after losing to Djokovic at the French Open semi-final.
Alcaraz changed his style of play to match Djokovic’s and this strategy paid off handsomely because it took off his anxiety.
With such adaptability, Wilander is sure Alcaraz will bag more than a dozen career Grand Slams.
Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon. Photo/Tennis Majors
“If he’s healthy, he plays this kind of tennis – he’s only gonna get better. And I put him down to [win] somewhere between 10 and 15 [Grand Slam titles], I think is realistic. But even if he ends up on five or six, he’s too important for our sport to be counting numbers already,” he added.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz has opened up on a barrage of well-wishing messages he received after qualifying for the Wimbledon finals.
One of them was Rafael Nadal, his tennis idol. Nadal sent him a good luck message in the finals and he felt lucky and more confident.
“Yes, yes, he sent me a message. First, he sent it to me to wish me luck for the final and I appreciate it. That someone like him, an idol of my childhood and still is, send you strength and luck for the most important moment of your life, is something to admire,” he told Marca in a recent interview.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion sent him a congratulatory message immediately after beating Djokovic.
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