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.

  • Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Hockey hair stylists ought to love the name of the Arizona Coyotes’ new puck palace — Mullett Arena.”

  • Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “I’m not saying the University of Florida’s brand new $85-million, 140,000-square foot standalone football facility is plush and palatial, but LIV golf just offered the Gators $200 million to buy it!”

  • Mark Fox on Twitter, weighing in on the extremely slow and painfully deliberate pre-shot routine of the newly crowned U.S. Amateur champion: “Things I can do during Sam Bennett’s pre-shot routine: Make a cup of tea. Have a shower. Change the tires on my car. Watch a full tournament without Sam Bennett. Write a thesis. Travel to the moon.”

  • Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “Tom Brady has arrived with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he will not play a game in the preseason. The seven-time Super Bowl winner knows more than anyone that the NFL preseason is more useless than a Kardashian on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy.’”

  • Jack Finarelli at sportscurmudgeon.com; “Decoldest Crawford is a wide receiver for Nebraska.  If he had been half of a set of twins, his sibling might have been named Dehottest Crawford.”

  • RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “The Baltimore Ravens victory over the Cardinals Sunday night was their 22nd straight preseason victory. That’s like the most beautiful girl in school telling you week after week that maybe one day she’ll go out with you.”

  • Comedy guy Gary Bachman: “Mike Tyson is calling Hulu’s upcoming limited series Mike ‘tone deaf.’ Of course it is, he bit off the producer’s ear.”

  • Headline at theonion.com: “Durant And Kyrie Agree To Be Teammates So Long As They’re Never In Same Room Together”

  • Dwight Perry again: “Browns centre JC Tretter, 31, announced his retirement from football. Insiders say it was a snap decision.”

  • Reds first baseman Joey Votto, via Twitter, undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery after hitting just .205: “I didn’t know I was hurt. Thought I just stunk.”

Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca

Previous
Previous

Macklin to develop multi-functional space

Next
Next

Pop 89: Brother Mouse, Sister Robin