“It seems to me that Alcaraz is destined to be one of the special ones” – Corretja

The former world No 2 believes that Alcaraz is going to win all the Grand Slams and Masters Series events during his career

Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals Torino 2023 Image Credit: Chryslène Caillaud / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

December 20, 2023

Former world No 2 Alex Corretja is very bullish about countryman Carlos Alcaraz becoming one of the game’s biggest superstars.

The 20-year-old Alcaraz has already picked up titles at the US Open and Wimbledon and has been ranked No 1 in the world. The Spaniard is the leading candidate to challenge current world No 1 Novak Djokovic in 2024 and Corretja has full faith in his compatriot to deliver on all surfaces in the years to come.

“I’ve said it a long time ago, I think Alcaraz is going to win all the Grand Slams on all surfaces, even the Masters. I think he is going to be a player who is going to win all the titles practically possible and it is because of the way he plays, his ambition, and his character,” Corretja said in an interview to Eurosport. “I think his tennis is very high. So it seems to me that Alcaraz is destined to be one of the special ones.”

“I think the Australian Open is a perfect fit for Alcaraz” – Corretja

Back to work! 🙏🏻🫡 @EqueliteFerrero pic.twitter.com/snQp4VtvXY
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) December 15, 2023

Corretja, a two-time French Open runner-up, also opines that Roland-Garros will be a big goal for Alcaraz next season. The young Spaniard had to retire during his highly anticipated semi-final clash against Djokovic due to cramps in 2023.

“To me, winning a Grand Slam would make it a very good season,” Corretja said. “I think that this year, for example, Roland Garros is going to be a very big goal for him. After what happened last year (cramps against Djokovic), I think he will manage it differently. He will have less anxiety and he’ll be wanting to get to Paris to win, because he knows that it is a very long Grand Slam.”

With the Australian Open just a few weeks away, Corretja also believes the Spaniard had a good shot at winning in Melbourne because the conditions there suit him.

“I think the Australian Open is a perfect fit for Alcaraz because of the conditions, because of the way the ball bounces, because it can be hot, because of night sessions where there is a kind of atmosphere that’s dramatic,” he said. “Everything becomes spectacular and he likes that. It’s a little bit like the night session in New York. I think if he arrives well and with some preparation matches it’s going to be perfect. He can play a very good Australian Open and he will be eager as an opportunity to seize knowing he didn’t play last year, the last time he played there, he ended up losing a very close match.”