Ex-Wimbledon Winner Warns Alcaraz About Getting 'Sick' Of Tennis
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Carlos Alcaraz might be smiling every time he steps onto the court at the moment, but he was warned that might change in the future.
The praise that the young Spaniard receives keeps coming from every side. He's one of the greatest 21-year-old players the sport has ever seen, and the numbers back that.
He is already a four-time Grand Slam champion, something incredibly rare among ATP players at this age. On top of that, he seems to be loving what he does, always beaming with great energy when on the tennis court.
That was the case also when he bested Ben Shelton at The Garden Cup, but his obsession with the sport might prove to be a double-edged sword for Alcaraz.
At the moment, everything seems to be great, and it's also tied to his success. He's been winning ever since he came onto the Tour, and there are still events that he has not won.
However, former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash, who won the tournament in 1987, 36 years before Alcaraz clinched his first title at SW19, warned the young Spaniard about getting sick of the sport in an interview with Tennis365.
"I hope Carlos continues to enjoy his tennis and doesn’t feel burdened by it all. He could look at it and think, ‘I’ve done just about everything, and I’m getting sick of this,’ but you can see he loves it at the moment, and it’s amazing that he is such a complete player at this age."
While giving advice to the young prodigy, Cash also realizes that Alcaraz possesses talent rarely seen. He couldn't stop praising the 21-year-old when talking about his qualities, explaining how every part of his game is almost flawless so early into this tennis career.
"Alcaraz has got everything. I’ve never seen a young player who has developed all his game at such a young age. There are normally some areas that need improving at that age. Not since Boris Becker came through and won Wimbledon have I seen a player as complete as Alcaraz at such a young age."
"Alcaraz is an incredibly complete. He’s lightning fast; he can play on any surface, and at the moment, you would put him in there with Sinner as a favorite for every tournament he enters."
"You look at Roger (Federer) and he needed to fix his backhand when he came through and (Rafael) Nadal needed to work on his volleys. They worked on those things throughout his career, but Alcaraz looked like a complete player at the age of 20."
Cash also mentioned Alcaraz's young rival, Jannik Sinner. According to the 59-year-old, Sinner is a much calmer player, which might help him with longevity compared to Alcaraz, who is a more passionate type of player.
"Sinner has a calmer personality and that tends to help for longevity. We like to see the passion that Carlos has got, but I hope he continues to enjoy it."
Both will be the top two favorites to lift the first Grand Slam title of the new season at the Australian Open, which starts on January 12th, 2025.
