Professional tennis journalist Andy Roddick recently made a comparison between Carlos Alcaraz and tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, noting that Alcaraz tends to make more mistakes than the Big Three players.
Alcaraz, known as one of the best players in the world and one of the best young talents in tennis history, has made remarkable achievements at a young age, becoming the youngest man to reach the number one rank.
Being compared to such iconic figures in the sport speaks volumes about Alcaraz’s talent, despite the unfairness of comparing a young player to the greatness of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal. It underscores the exceptional skills possessed by the young Spaniard.
Some have even argued that Alcaraz, at 21, is better than the Big Three were at the same age, although there are noticeable differences.
Roddick, having played against all three legends, highlighted the differences in a recent podcast episode.
“[Carlos] Alcaraz is like this insane thing to watch because he has all the shots and he can do everything, but he always takes his shot. With Roger [Federer], you always felt like you were playing on his terms, especially later in his career when he had lost maybe half a step, it was on his terms.”
Despite his young age, Alcaraz is considered a phenomenal player with immense potential. While he may surpass the Big Three at 21, he still has a long way to go to reach their peak levels.
“Alcaraz still makes way more errors than prime Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, and [Novak] Djokovic, way more unforced errors. But most of the errors are on his terms. He’s trying to do something. He might miss a forehand wildly, but you’re going, ‘That was probably the right shot. He just missed it.”
