Alcaraz’s wish – to be “one of the best tennis players in history”

Just two days shy of his 20th birthday the ambitious Spaniard tells reporters about his biggest dream.

Carlos Alcaraz, Indian Wells 2023 |© Zuma/Panoramic

May 4, 2023

To play the game the way that Carlos Alcaraz does takes ambition, whether it is spoken of or not. Don’t let those puppy eyes fool you: the Spaniard may emanate an easy going warmth but down deep in his soul he is hungry for victories – and greatness.

He revealed a grand desire to reporters in Madrid on Wednesday, when asked what his dreams in tennis are, now that his 20th birthday is approaching.

Alcaraz’s answer?

A clear-cut statement of intent – call it Carlitos’ way…

“My dream on tennis right now is to become one of the best tennis players in history,” the Spanish phenom said, adding with a smile: “I know that this is a big dream, probably is too big. But in this world, you have to dream big and you have to think big, as well.”

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Alcaraz, already the youngest world No 1 in ATP history and the youngest player to win a Grand Slam since his idol Rafael Nadal in 2005, wants to keep carving a path in the direction of the tennis pantheon. No fear, no limits, only the passion and the blood, sweat and tears that could make it happen.

“I want to be part of the best tennis players in history and I will work for it,” he said.

Earlier this year when we spoke to Alcaraz’s longtime coach and mentor, Juan Carlos Ferrero, we asked him if he thought that Alcaraz was a synthesis of the Big Three, and one that grew up seeing Federer, Nadal and Djokovic do the impossible and believing – perhaps – that he could one day do the same.

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“The only thing I can tell you is that he thinks super big,” Ferrero said. “He does think super big. A lot of journalists ask me if he can win 22 Grand Slams. I don’t know. What I know is that he is able to do big things for tennis. Let him play and try. If he wins the second, we’ll ask him when will be the third. It will be a great pressure all the time. So can he do like the others did? I don’t know.”

Time will tell us whether or not Carlos Alcaraz will sit with the all-time greats of the sport when his career is done. As he approaches his 20th birthday (Friday) all we can do is smile, sit back, and let this wunderkind amaze us with what he has done already, and what he might one day accomplish.