“Alcaraz is going to be No. 1 in the world, & I think he’s going to be staying there for many years” – Bjorn Borg

The Swede says the Spaniard has no weaknesses and had lef thim mighty impressed with his whole game

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open

May 6, 2023

Tennis legend Bjorn Borg believes that Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday, will get back to the world No 1 ranking and stay at the top for many years.

Alcaraz defeated Croatia’s Borna Coric in straight sets on Friday to advance to the Madrid Masters final where he meets lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff, of Germany, on Sunday. The Spaniard stands a good chance of returning to the top of the rankings at the end of next week’s Rome Masters.

Borg, a 11-time Grand Slam singles champion, has been impressed with the young Spaniard’s game, saying that he has no weaknesses.

“After this week he’s going to be No. 1 in the world, and I think he’s going to be staying there for many years,” Borg told Eurosport in an interview. “The way he plays, the way he moves, I like the whole game. No weaknesses. This was a semi-final today, I think he has a good chance to win the final. But to watch this guy play is unbelievable, I’m very impressed.”

“Rafa is Rafa, he’s one of the greatest ever to play the game” – Borg on Nadal

Björn Borg and Rafael Nadal, Laver Cup, 2019 — AI / Reuters / Panoramic

In his prime, Borg won Roland-Garros six times and was considered to be the best clay court player of all-time, a mantle now taken over by Rafael Nadal, who has won in Paris a record 14 times. However, with Nadal pulling out of Rome on Friday, Borg hopes the 36-year-old will still play in the tournament that has become synonymous with him.

“Rafa is a good friend of mine. I know he’s struggling a little bit with his body, I’ve known that for a long time,” the Swede said. “Unfortunately, he’s not going to play Rome, but we want to see him at the French Open. If he’s not going to be fit, he’s not going to play. But Rafa is Rafa, he’s one of the greatest ever to play the game. I hope he is going to play the French Open.”