Carlos Alcaraz already has four majors to his name, but there was one moment that can make him win many more, according to Alex Corretja.
The 21-year-old Spaniard is no stranger to winning Grand Slams at this point. He’s done it on two different continents, three different tournaments, back-to-back, and even twice at the same event.
Of course, he has won still ‘only’ four majors, but the way he’s won them, where he won them, and how he won them, underlines his greatness, and there was one particular moment, which changed how he will approach majors in the future, according to former World No. 2 Corretja.
The 50-year-old works as a tennis analyst after his career on the ATP Tour, and naturally, he has great interest and enjoyment in following Spanish players. Previously, it was Rafael Nadal, and now, Alcaraz brings joy to him and his fellow compatriots.
Speaking recently on the Spanish TV, Corretja identified one moment that changed how the four-time winner may approach his tennis at majors in the future, and especially his confidence levels.
It was the match at the 2024 Roland Garros against Jannik Sinner. The two met in the semi-final of the clay-court major, and after losing 1-2 after the first three sets of play, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, Alcaraz was able to turn the match around, winning the last two sets 6-4, 6-3, to reach the final, which he also won from 1-2 down.
It was at the time when Sinner was still undefeated in Grand Slam matches in 2024, and taking him on presented a great challenge for Alcaraz, but not playing his best, and recovering from 1-2 deficit is what changed him, according to Corretja.
“Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Jannik Sinner in the Roland Garros semi-final was a real spark for him. Knowing how to stay calm has changed the most in Carlos Alcaraz in recent weeks.”
“There is a before and after the Roland Garros semi-final, when he beat Sinner after being down two sets to one. That day he learned that it is with suffering and fortitude that you can win Grand Slam tournaments.”
After winning the French Open, the youngster travelled to London, and he proved how much he learned from that match, as he won the 2024 Wimbledon Championships in a very similar way.
He didn’t play his best tennis throughout the tournament, but when it mattered, he showed up. That was particularly true in the final match, when he completely outplayed Novak Djokovic, winning the final 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) to secure his fourth Grand Slam title.
Acccording to Corretja, while Alcaraz previously thought that he wasn’t able to win titles without his best tennis, it was that match against Sinner that showed him he could, and he utilized that also in the Roland Garros final, and over the two weeks in London some time later.
“When he did not play his best tennis, he first thought it was not enough to win this kind of tournaments – but now he is realizing that even without playing his best tennis he can still get to the finals of the Slam and then win them.”
