Just as Paris Saint-Germain appears to be ushering football into a new era, could Carlos Alcaraz be doing the same for tennis? The Spaniard, who faces world number one Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final on Sunday, July 13, is on a 24-match winning streak. He has won in Rome, Roland Garros and Queen’s. Not bad for a player who some considered inconsistent.
Beyond this string of victories, it is the astonishing level of play Alcaraz has reached during this Wimbledon fortnight that stands out. Yet Alcaraz does not systematically crush his opponents. Arthur Fils nearly beat him in Monte-Carlo, as did Jaume Munar at Queen’s Club. Fabio Fognini pushed him to a fifth set in the first round at Wimbledon. Against the 38-year-old Italian, now ranked 138th in the world, Alcaraz grew frustrated. “He has the level to play until he’s 50 years old!” the Spaniard exclaimed toward his box in the fourth set, before raising his game and closing the match with a decisive 6-1.
Is it overconfidence? Loss of focus? “He is less consistent than Jannik Sinner, but when the level rises at a Grand Slam, he always shows up,” said Arnaud Clément, former world number 10 and an Eurosport analyst. Under the guidance of Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz has become a player for the big stage: He has won five Grand Slam finals out of five. His early career ranks him among the most precocious players in history, alongside Rafael Nadal, Björn Borg and John McEnroe. If he wins a sixth major on Sunday, he will join Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker at the age of just 22.
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