Carlos Alcaraz could not hide how incredible it was to practice with Roger Federer at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month.
Some consider the Spaniard's style a combination of Federer's, Rafael Nadal's, and Novak Djokovic's. His game contains some of the best features of those three legends, creating an exhilarating playing style.
Richard Gasquet believes Alcaraz will be a new Federer and Nadal in the future, and that he and Jannik Sinner will dominate and raise the level of tennis for the next 15 years.
Sinner is usually compared more to Djokovic than Federer and Nadal due to his ability to be ruthlessly efficient. He is seen as a machine on the court, similar to the Serbian.
Interestingly, Sinner recently acknowledged that Alcaraz is technically ahead of him, referring to his rival's ability to use the drop shot and the slice. The Italian does not possess the same variety.
That ability to hit a broad range of shots and come to the net is the principal reason Alcaraz gets compared to Federer. The 21-year-old might be the best shot-maker seen on the ATP Tour since the Swiss maestro retired.
Federer does not appear too often at tournaments, but he traveled to the Shanghai Masters to play in a celebrity exhibition match. The 20-time Grand Slam champion also took the time to have a practice session with Alcaraz.
Speaking to Eurosport before the ongoing Paris Masters began, Alcaraz was thrilled with the experience and said it was a true masterclass from Federer.
"It was an unbelievable experience for me. Having the chance to play with him, it was great. I just enjoyed so much, every shot, watching him playing the shots so easily."
"It was a dream. It was a great experience. I had the chance to talk a lot with him, ask him some questions about when he was playing. It was a masterclass honestly from him."
Alcaraz also discussed returning to Paris for a third time after the French Open and the Olympics earlier this year. When asked about his favorite memory in the French capital, he gave an unsurprising answer.
"It is great to be back here in Paris, I thought honestly a lot about my time in Roland-Garros, my time in the Olympic Games. I'm just happy to show my level once again in front of the Parisian crowd, hopefully they're gonna enjoy the game. It is great and it is an extra motivation coming to this tournament."
"Roland-Garros, biting the trophy and holding the trophy with all my people. Obviously the Olympic Games was an unbelievable achievement for me getting the silver medal, but I lost the final. So I remember Roland-Garros the most."
Although the world No. 2 has not enjoyed great success at the Paris Masters in his previous appearances, he played well in the opening round against Nicolas Jarry, winning in straight sets.
The Spaniard's goal is to win every tournament he enters before the season ends, which shows his confidence in his ability to do much better than previous years at the Paris Masters.
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