Carlos Alcaraz is one of the best players on the ATP Tour, yet, the end of his 2023 campaign was a disappointment to some.
After winning his second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, the young Spanish prodigy didn't add any more titles to his collection, which was something else than many expected.
However, according to Rick Macci, who spoke exclusively to Tennis Infinity, the Spaniard's progress is gradual, and many moments during this season showed why he's such a good player.
For example, at Wimbledon, he had to escape multiple challenging situations, and in the end, he managed to beat Novak Djokovic in the final, which according to Macci, shows his greatness.
"As I said, three years ago, it's something the world hadn't seen. He's something, in my opinion, that is very unique. He never played that much on grass, and then he made some Houdini escapes at Wimbledon, and then he beat Djokovic in the final. So, I think it should show everybody his greatness."
On top of that, the American coach reminds everyone that Alcaraz is still only 20. Macci says that ups and down in the athlete's career are normal, but even despite his down at the end of the 2023, the former coach of the Williams sisters has him up on the list with Novak Djokovic.
"And remember, he's 20 years old. I mean, people forget this, and you're gonna have some ups and downs. In my opinion, he's getting better, but here's what I mean by that. People look at him, but he didn't do that well at the end of the season. I'm still putting my money on him next year as a contender for every Grand Slam right there with Djokovic."
In terms of his results at the end of the 2023 season, the 68-year-old emphasizes that even though he lost, the results are not as important.
"I don't look that he did bad result wise. He was a little injured, I could see that his mobility wasn't 100%. But he still played And when you don't play 100 percent with confidence, what I saw, he was a little bit more on the back foot; he wasn't as authoritative as he usually was."
Macci even mentioned Boris Becker's claims when the German coach said that Alcaraz didn't improve while the rest of the field did.
"I think I read Boris Becker said 'he didn't get any better'. I disagree. I think he got better by losing, even though not by the result. He got better because it will motivate him to work on the mental game and solidify things a little bit, and I think the best is yet to come from Carlos Alcaraz."
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