This year was the first time ever that Carlos Alcaraz took part in the Laver Cup, and Andy Roddick found his aura Big-Three-like after seeing how the team reacted to him.
Regardless of how Alcaraz played at the Laver Cup, it's undeniable that the Spaniard carried his team to victory. He won two singles matches, including the final one, which sealed the win for Team Europe, and won a massively important doubles match with Casper Ruud.
That doubles match was particularly surprising because they were the huge underdogs against Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. He was the best-performing player at the event by far, and former ATP player Andy Roddick found this weekend important for the young Spaniard.
As Roddick explained, Alcaraz had a massive summer, with Roland Garros and Wimbledon triumphs, but then a shocking loss at the US Open. This was a chance for him to bounce back to form, and he did it.
"I think this was an important weekend for Carlos Alcaraz. Massive summer, one of the craziest losses I've seen just based on build up in Olympics and two slams and the whole thing, young guy."
"Alcaraz losing to van de Zandschulp in straight sets, like on a score line that’s as lopsided as he's ever been a part of."
"Then quickly re-establish at the Laver Cup that I'm the best player in this building full of earth's best players, right?And, and coming through at the end and also the way that the other players like very, very like easily.We're like, oh yeah, he's the best player here."
Roddick was particularly impressed with how the rest of the players seemingly deferred to Alcaraz in many ways as if they almost unanimously declared him the best player in the world at that event.
It wouldn't be shocking, of course, because that's what he has been, but that type of aura is something special. Very few players can simply just walk into a room and become the leader of the pack in a way, especially not in a room filled with some of the best players in the world.
Alcaraz was able to do that, and to Roddick, it was something akin to the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer, that type of aura.
"It was kind of like, you know, it's the thing that we saw with the big three and now they're discussing Carlos in that, that same light and he kind of proved them right. And was like, hey, there's a little speed bump at the US Open but, you know."
It's huge praise from a former champion who battled these players for several years before retiring. Alcaraz also has ambitions to become legendary as those players, and he's been marching in their footsteps.
The way he played at the Laver Cup suggests a very strong finish to the year for him, and that will only add to his legacy.
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