Where will Carlos Alcaraz stop? 24 hours after Rafael Nadal, the new Spanish nugget, 19 years old since Thursday, made world No.1 Novak Djokovic bite the dust on Saturday to qualify for the final of the Masters 1000 in Madrid.
Entering the top 10 at the end of April, when he was still 18, Alcaraz won 6-7 (5 / 7), 7-5, 7-6 (7 / 5) after a marathon and spectacular match 3 hrs 35 mins.
He will play the second Masters 1000 final of his nascent career either against world No.3 and trophy holder Alexander Zverev, or against world No.5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, opposed in the evening. And already knows that he will climb to sixth place in the world on Monday.
Nadal’s faller the day before, for their third face-to-face, Alcaraz becomes the youngest player (ahead of Tsitsipas) to have hooked both “Rafa” and Djokovic on his hunting board – certainly not at the moment the scarecrows that they were (and could be again). But before him, no one had ever beaten them both in the same tournament on clay.
Two statistics that only confirm what has been emerging for several months: the dizzying rise of the young Spaniard, beyond the top 100 a year ago and promised a bright future. From Roland-Garros in two weeks (May 22-June 5)?
Is it big enough to compete week after week with them?
“I feel ready to compete with them in all tournaments, on all surfaces. In Grand Slam, with matches in five sets, it’s totally different, but I think I’m ready, “assumes the protege of Juan-Carlos Ferrero, ex-world No.1 and winner of Roland-Garros 2003.
Amortized in shovel
Under the Madrid sun, fans of epic duels were served on Saturday afternoon. And the Caja Magica of Madrid made no mistake about it by launching into an ola as the outcome approached and accompanying their new protege to the end with blows of “Si se puede! », the Spanish equivalent of « Yes we can », loudly.
On a thread throughout the decisive round, Djokovic held on until the tie-break. But Alcaraz, who had already got five break points and even a first match point at 5-4 in this third set, ended up delivering the blow after more than 3 h 30 min of play.
Three and a half hours during which he showed off his spectacular game, both offensive and creative, between rocket forehands, fierce desire to play forward, hyper-early shots, and some brilliant inspirations, like of this forehand nab slipped at the start of the second round. And amazingly cool at such a young age.
“He held his nerves very well. To play with so much maturity and courage at his age is impressive,” concedes Djokovic.
Earlier, the world No.1 narrowly escaped in the first set, in the decisive game, after being broken from the start and leading 4 games to 2.
“Best tennis of the year”
He even came not that far from a straight-sets victory when he got a break point at 5 games all.
But Alcaraz, obviously not bothered by his badly twisted right ankle the day before against Nadal, dismissed it – with one of his delicious drop shots which he made his fatal weapon – and in the next game, he equalized at one set everywhere. We had already been playing for more than two hours and the shadow reached the Madrid Central.
Even beaten, Djokovic leaves with a certainty: he who is looking for his best level after a first quarter almost at a standstill marked by his unlikely expulsion from Australia, for lack of vaccination against Covid-19, is undoubtedly on the right path.
If he ended up folding, the Serb held the shock for a long time against the player in form of the moment, and avoided the dry breakdown known both in Monte Carlo and in Belgrade in the previous weeks. Its rise to power is obvious.
“I played very good tennis, my best of the year. Probably when the disappointment of having lost this match is over, I will take a lot of positives from this week, ”he said.
In the final on Sunday, Alcaraz, now on a series of nine games won consecutively, will go to conquer a fifth trophy, his fourth of the year after Rio, Miami (Masters 1000) and Barcelona two weeks ago.
Nothing seems to scare “Carlito”. Except maybe one thing: when you call him Carlos. So, smiles the phenomenon, “I have the impression of having done something wrong”.