Carlos Alcaraz, a teenage Spanish prodigy, said the most excellent thing about being hailed as the future of Grand Slam tennis is that he is living a “dream that is not for everyone.”
The 19-year-old advanced to the second round of the French Open on Sunday after defeating good Argentine loser Juan Ignacio Londero 6-4, 6-2, 6-0.
He is projected to break the reign of 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal and two-time winner Novak Djokovic by becoming just the eighth teenager to win a prominent men’s championship.
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“The nicest part about being Carlos right now is that I’m living my dream,” said Alcaraz, who made it to the third round of the main draw as a qualifier in Paris a year ago.
“I’m extremely thrilled with tennis; these kinds of events, these kinds of stadiums, aren’t for everyone, so I’d say that’s the greatest thing.”
For a spot in the last 32, the sixth seed will face compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
“I’ve been following this competition for a long time. It’s a one-of-a-kind venue, and I’ve always wanted to perform here,” Alcaraz remarked.
He broke Londero in the tenth game of a close first set, then broke five more times over the following two locations on Court Philippe Chatrier to win the match.
Alcaraz, who was rated 97 last year, has won a tour-leading four championships this season, three of which were on clay in Rio, Barcelona, and Madrid, where he overcame Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev.
Despite his meteoric rise, Alcaraz is trying his best to stay focused on the fundamentals and ignore the increased attention.
“I’m trying to concentrate just on the tournaments and matches,” he remarked.
“With everyone talking about you, just concentrate on what I need to work on, what I need to do in the matches, and what I need to do every day to be ready for the tournament.”
Last September, Alcaraz became the youngest quarter-finalist in the Open history, and he is the first player to defeat Nadal and Djokovic in the same clay competition.
When Nadal won his first Roland Garros trophy in 2005, he was barely two years old, and he said he planned to emulate his idol’s attitude.
“If you are the greatest player in the world, which I am not in my situation,” Alcaraz added, “you have to develop every day.”
“However, Rafa, for example, claims that he improves every day. I’d say I need to work on things a little more.
“You know, you can improve anything every day. And I’d say absolutely everything. Everything needs to be better.”
