Carlos Alcaraz has received praise from Andy Roddick for being a better player at 19 when compared to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the same age.
Alcaraz continued his strong 2023 form at the Madrid Open this week after he raced into the semi-finals by beating Karen Khachanov in straight sets. The teenage star is aiming to win his fourth ATP event of the campaign after success at the Argentina Open, Indian Wells and the Barcelona Open.
Due to his fast-tracked success in men's tennis, regular comparisons are made between Alcaraz and the 'Big Three' of Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic. When speaking on the Tennis Channel recently, former US Open champion Roddick stated that Alcaraz has an edge over the likes of Federer and Nadal.
"I'm not a victim of hyperbole, so I'm not saying this just because he won a match today, but I think he's the most complete 19-year-old male tennis player that I've ever seen. Roger didn't win his first Major until he was 21, Rafa won at 17 but he wasn't great on all surfaces until he was maybe 20-21-22."
Continuing with his praise of Alcaraz, Roddick feels that the Spanish teenager is a once-in-a-generation talent with the right foundations to build on. The former American player also pinpointed some of the 19-year-old's particular strengths.
"Alcaraz really has no weaknesses, the backhand used to misfire a little bit more than it does now, he's able to take it line, he used to kind of love the crosscourt a little bit more. But man, most of us mere mortals, if we're missing some shots to get down in a game, it's really hard for us to just step up, play the right shot, pull the trigger, and not think about the consequences. He's a master at that, even at 19. It's unbelievable to see."
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