Not for the first time in his young career, Carlos Alcaraz has history in his sights over the next fortnight.
After winning his third grand slam title earlier this month at the French Open, the 21-year-old Spaniard begins the defence of his Wimbledon crown on Monday with the opportunity to complete a rare double. Since the open era began in 1968, only five men have triumphed on the grass courts of the All England Club hard on the heels of conquering the Parisian clay. Should Alcaraz emulate Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, he will become the youngest player to clinch the “Channel slam”, a feat that requires a rare blend of resilience and adaptability. He is alive to the scale of the challenge.
“Winning grand slams is difficult, obviously changing from clay to grass court, totally different surfaces, totally different game of play,” said Alcaraz, who will open Centre Court proceedings on Monday against Mark Lajal, an Estonian qualifier ranked 269 in the world.
“Let’s see. I’m going to try, obviously I want to put my name on that shortlist, to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. I know that it’s going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I’m ready to do it.”
If Alcaraz sounds bullish, it is with good cause. Comfortable in every area of the court and equipped with a rare combination of firepower and finesse, his credentials as a player capable of winning on any surface are already well established. With his victory in Paris, the Murcian became the youngest man in the professional era to win majors on clay, grass and hard courts, a record previously held by Nadal, who was 22 when he claimed the French Open-Wimbledon double in 2008. For good measure, he reached that landmark in only 13 grand slam appearances – seven fewer than Jimmy Connors and Rafael Nadal, who previously led the way.
Alcaraz demonstrated his ability to make a swift transition from clay to grass last year, when he shook off a devastating semi-final defeat to Djokovic in Paris to mount a title run at Queen’s Club. His victory over Alex de Minaur in the Queen’s final marked just his 11th appearance on a grass; by the time he completed his 18th, three weeks later, he was a Wimbledon champion.
Alcaraz attributed that success partly to studying the footwork of Federer, Nadal and Andy Murray, all former winners at the All England Club. This year, he has broadened that frame of reference to include Djokovic, whose movement he had previously said he could not emulate on grass, given the seven-time’s predilection for sliding. Yet it is a measure of his burgeoning self-belief that his primary checkpoint is now himself.
“I don’t think anything about other players,” said Alcaraz. “I’m still watching videos of Roger, of Andy, of Rafa. Novak as well.
“I’ve also put on videos of myself last year – I’m not going to lie – just to see what I did or how I did it. Just moving, hitting shots, I want to do the same as I did last year. But I’m not trying to pick anything from other players.”
Forging his own path has certainly worked out well for Alcaraz so far. Seeded third, he is projected to face top seed Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, in what would be a repeat of their recent meeting at the same stage of the French Open, won by the Spaniard in five sets. From there, a renewal of hostilities with Djokovic could await. Notwithstanding a straight-sets defeat to Britain’s Jack Draper at Queen’s Club, where another deep run was always likely to be challenging so soon after Roland Garros, Alcaraz says he is prepared for the trials that lie ahead.
“After Queen’s, I had a lot of days to adapt my game, to practice, to get better,” said Alcaraz. “The next day, I started practising my movement, my shots, just to be more comfortable moving on grass, playing on grass this year. Right now, I’ve had great practices with great players just to see my level. I think I’m ready to start the tournament.”