Carlos Alcaraz has received enormous praise from celebrated American coach Rick Macci after a remarkable start to his 2022 season.
Alcaraz, who turned 19 just two days ago, is turning heads just two years after his ATP debut. At this week's Madrid Open, he defeated his childhood idol Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal, exacting revenge from last year's defeat at the same stage on his birthday.
He will play Novak Djokovic later today in the semifinal, and there is a buzz around the Caja Magica that Alcaraz might now win this tournament. His meteoric rise has already caught the eye of Serena Williams' former coach, Rick Macci, who believes that the young Spanaid is a generational talent.
Macci, who has coached some acocmplsheed names in the sport in addition to the Williams sisters, was in awe of Alcaraz's skills, as he recently divulged on his YouTube channel.
Over the past few weeks, much has been said about Alcaraz. Almost every expert is convinced he'll have a successful career, and even compatriot Nadal raved about him and reckons he will win plenty of Grand Slams in the near future.
However, Macci, who has worked with other former No. 1s like Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova, took it a step further when he said he could see the young Spaniard "becoming the greatest player of all time" and that he is more talented than the Big 3.
"I've seen a lot of players come and go, people with a lot of potential. I've seen Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic when they were young, but in the last 30 years I haven't seen anyone like Alcaraz. He has it all. Not only does he meet all the requirements, but he has created some more."
"Overall, his game is very mature. It intimidates you because of its speed. The boy was born to achieve great things. Play from the heart. He loves competition. I've never seen this kind of talent, it's the best thing I've seen in the last 25 years."