Carlos Alcaraz, stronger than the Big 3 at his age? McEnroe responds
A mix of shock, admiration, and even... a hint of jealousy. McEnroe speaks of Alcaraz with more than flattering praise.
These are the words John McEnroe, an iconic figure of world tennis, used to talk about Carlos Alcaraz. On the Tennis Channel set, the American did not hesitate to use superlatives: "In my entire life, I've never seen a player as good and as complete at his age.
I've been watching tennis for over 50 years, I had Rod Laver as an idol, I played against Borg, Lendl, and Connors, my three great rivals, and I thought that was already something insurmountable.
I then had the chance to see Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. But what I see in this Spanish kid is something else. We thought we'd never see such a level again after the Big 3, but Carlos is here, and he does everything differently. He is both old-fashioned and modern."
McEnroe recalls the first time he saw Carlos Alcaraz play, when the Spaniard was only 17 years old.
"He immediately captivated me. He was fast, creative, unpredictable. And that smile... almost diabolical. He annoyed me with his smile... He took too much pleasure (laughs)! What wowed me was how forward he played.
He gets to the net, he volleys, he tries things. We hadn't seen that at this level for a very long time. God sent us a gift with Alcaraz. He inspires, he shakes things up, and he smiles. What more could we ask for?" he jokes, while displaying sincere admiration.
