Penton: New star in tennis? Carlos Alcaraz
By Bruce Penton
The old guard of tennis appears to be slowly fading away, so it’s time to make room for the brightest young star on the world tennis scene, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.
While Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the game’s biggest names, they may no longer have the biggest game. Alcaraz is being promoted by the world’s tennis media as being destined for No. 1 in the world. And he’s only 19 years old.
Already ranked No. 4 in the world, Alcaraz will be one of the favourites in New York this week as the U.S. Open continues. Neither Federer nor Djokovic are entered, with the 41-year-old Federer basically dropping off the tennis radar — although retirement has not been mentioned — and Djokovic unable to enter the United States because he has not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
That leaves Nadal standing as the only one of the Big Three to compete at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Already a two-time Grand Slam event winner this year (he won the Australian and French Opens), he is seeded No. 2. But even he has his eye on countryman Alvarez, as comparisons between the two are continually made. “If he is able to win 25 Grand Slams, it’s going to be amazing for our country and I will be happy for him,” the 36-year-old Nadal told TennisWorld,com “but let’s let him enjoy his personal career.”
In 2019, Alcarz was ranked No. 141 in the world. He moved up to 32 in 2020 and today is No. 4. Can No. 1 be far away?
Meanwhile, Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are our country’s best hopes on the men’s side for U.S. Open glory while Leylah Annie Fernandez carries Canada’s hopes on the women’s side. Fernandez was the surprise star of last year’s U.S. Open, advancing all the way to the final before losing to England’s Emma Raducanu, but is currently ranked No. 14 in the world. Bianca Andreescu, winner of the U.S. Open in 2019 and currently No. 50 in the world, has overcome recent health and injury problems and hopes to contend.
Despite the presence of Nadal, Alcaraz and other big names in the world of tennis, the most attention will be paid to Serena Williams, one of the best ever in women’s tennis, who has announced that this year’s U.S. Open will be her final hurrah before retirement. Williams has 23 Grand Slam titles, second only to Margaret Court of Australia, who won 24. The U.S. media hasn’t been shy in declaring Williams the greatest of all time, but the Australian media might have a different view.
If we can’t have an Auger - Aliassime vs. Shapovalov final on the men’s side, most fans would settle for an all-Spanish Nadal vs. Alcaraz showdown. And a Serena-Fernandez women’s final wouldn’t be bad, either.
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Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca