Martina Navratilova once made a very bold prediction about Carlos Alcaraz back in 2022, and some would argue that it’s already come true.
The Spaniard always seemed destined for greatness, even from a very young age.
After all, whether it be enjoying impossibly deep runs at tournaments or claiming big scalps over players far above him in the rankings, he was doing both as an unknown teenager.
As such, it did not take time for him to rise up the rankings, eventually finishing 2022 as the youngest male year-end world number one ever at just 19.
Before claiming this accolade though, Navratilova certainly had plenty to say about the sensation that was threatening to revolutionise the sport.
Martina Navratilova made a big prediction about Carlos Alcaraz in 2022
Speaking to Tennis Channel just after Carlos Alcaraz had won his first-ever Masters 1000 title, in April 2022, Navratilova could not have been more effusive in her praise for the youngster.
In fact, even before he went on to win his maiden Grand Slam, she admitted: “There’s nothing missing [in his game].
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“His physique. He’s got it all going on, and for me, he’s one of the top people that you have to talk about at every major now, along with Djokovic, Nadal and Medvedev; he is the fourth one for me.
“He’s only going to get better, and that’s pretty scary for the rest of the field. You see them making errors that they normally wouldn’t make because of his speed. He’s so quick, I think he’s as quick as anybody, I think he’s quicker than Djokovic – maybe not faster, but quicker – and when he’s stretched out wide on the backhand he’s so strong he can still dip the ball at [his opponent’s] net – you think you’re in a great position to put the volley away and, oops, there goes the ball.
“He can create pace, where most people would be hitting a defensive shot, he can still create offence – he’s so impressive.”
She continued: “Another thing that impresses me about this young man, besides his power, is his touch,” she said. “For me, that’s the best combination of raw power and pure touch that I have seen. Usually, people have one or the other, but not both.
“I think the only thing that would keep him from getting to the Hall of Fame would be his body, if somehow that doesn’t hold up,” Navratilova raved. “But he’s a specimen, he doesn’t need to do anything different physically, he’s perfect right now, just keep going the same way on the physical part, and mentally, Juan Carlos Ferrero has done a great job with him, he really understands the game, and he’s only going to get better.
“The coach literally can give him a game plan that’s very specific and he doesn’t have to think, Oh, can I handle it. He can handle all of it. He can handle whether it’s slice, drop shot, lob, go big, stand back, he can come in, do the SABR a la Roger Federer – he’s got it all. And he’s so quick coming from defence to offence – I mean, good luck to the tour.”
Ironically, Navratilova had to confirm if she was worried about Alcaraz at Wimbledon this year, as his patchy form in the early rounds led to fears over his ability to challenge for the title.
Carlos Alcaraz has only got better since winning his first Grand Slam title
Since then, it’s fair to say that Alcaraz has only improved.
At the time, he was an unrefined talent capable of truly spectacular things, yet remained a relatively unknown and unpredictable commodity.
And whilst the latter trait is still true of him at times, he is now a five-time Grand Slam champion, with just the Australian Open lacking from his collection.
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Twice a winner of Wimbledon and Roland Garros, his repertoire has expanded far beyond just hard courts, with Alcaraz’s record on grass comparable to some of the best to ever play the sport.
Jannik Sinner is providing plenty of competition to his greatness, and for the rest of the tennis world, it’s refreshing to see yet another legendary rivalry blossom.
It will be interesting to see who sweeps up more accolades across their respective careers in the decade to come.