Many believe no player has ever been as popular as Roger Federer, but according to a former world number one, Mats Wilander, Carlos Alcaraz is right now.
The 20-year-old is tremendously popular, and it's pretty easy to tell. Stands are packed any time he plays, and wherever he goes, he is cheered on by many people. This doesn't happen often, and it certainly doesn't happen with every new exciting tennis player that shows up.
Some players just have something magnetic about them that sucks people in. Part of his appeal is the playstyle and sensational achievements so early in his career.
After all, Mats Wilander called him the most exciting tennis player who ever walked on a tennis court, so there is clearly something special about him.
Even so, very few would dare to compare his popularity to that of Roger Federer was at his peak. Mats Wilander did and he has more praise for the spectacular Spaniard.
In a recent talk with Eurosport, Wilander said that Alcaraz is as popular as Roger Federer during his peak.
"The crowd loves him there like I've never seen a player, maybe Roger Federer in his heyday, but they go absolutely crazy for him there. It's a lot of Hispanic people, he's the clear crowd favourite."
Wilander also spoke about Alcaraz's recent Indian Wells triumph, saying that the win was kind of expected even though he hasn't played that well since Wimbledon last year.
"I think for Carlos Alcaraz, this victory, even though somehow I think it was kind of expected - OK, he hasn't won since Wimbledon, but clearly last year and the year before, we realised how good the conditions are in Indian Wells for him - and he seemed like he was playing good in the beginning. I saw the first round where he lost a set, and then he got better and better."