Carlos Alcaraz blew away Alexander Zverev in Madrid Open

Carlos Alcaraz's fitness levels are remarkable; even after a gruelling three sets win over Nadal and then Novak, he had the energy to control the match's momentum in the finals. With no breakpoints and only eleven unforced errors in comparison to twenty-five by Zverev.

He said, "Last year, I went through these experiences for the first time, playing against the best players, playing in the Masters 1000, and I learned a lot," Alcaraz said. "Now it's different. I go onto the court knowing that I can win, with the confidence that I can win at any moment."

 Zverev had only praise for Alcaraz after the match. 

In jest, he said, "Even though you are still five-years-old, you are still beating us all, so great to see for tennis that we have such a new superstar who is going to win many grand slams, who is going to be No 1 and is going to win this tournament many times."

Tennis Association Coach, "I had seen Federer, Nadal and Djokovic when they were little, but in the last 30 years, I have not seen anyone like Carlos Alcaraz."

Tennis' rising sensation Carlos Alcaraz has made a lasting impact on the sports community and is now seen as a top contender in every event he participates in. His aggressive game and exceptional footwork have gained him limitless appraisal from the tennis fraternity. The latest compliment comes from Rick Macci, former coach of Andy Roddick, Serena Williams and others. Macci went on about the young star's unique traits and his qualities. 

"I've seen many players come and go, people with a lot of potentials. I've seen Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic when they were young, but in the last 30 years, I haven't seen anyone like Alcaraz. It has it all. It meets all the requirements, but it has created some more," Macci admitted. The Spaniard walked into 2022 after winning the Next Gen Finals and beating the likes of Holger Rune and Sebastian Korda. Although he started the year with a third-round loss in Australia to Matteo Berrettini, the Spaniard won titles in Rio and Miami and a semifinal in Indian Wells.

Is Alcaraz the new Rafa?

Macci further thinks that Alcaraz's game has matured in the past few months. His speed can appear very intimidating to other players, and the fact that he loves competing is impressive. There's a lot of Rafa in him, as stated by Macci. They both hail from Spain, have a similar never-give-up attitude and have experienced immense success early in their career. 

One day, the 21-time Grand Slam champion lost to Alcaraz in the quarterfinals in Madrid. After that, the 19-year-old Spaniard defeated world number one Novak Djokovic, 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5), in 3 hours, 36 minutes in the semifinals. He scored 51 winners against 57 unforced errors and won 13-of-17 net points. Djokovic only managed 24 winners and 31 unforced errors. He was often drawn toward the net in a defensive position because Alcaraz tended to use the drop shot. 

Will Alcaraz win a Grand Slam this year?

Alcaraz will target his second Masters 1000 title against Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final after the German overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal. The world number nine became the first man to beat Nadal and Djokovic in the same clay-court event and the 12th on all surfaces. He is also the only teenager to have beaten Nadal on clay. 

It was his sixth straight win against a top ten opponent. Hence, he is now 10-6 against top-ten opponents, unlike Djokovic, who was 1-5. Former world number one Jim Courier thinks that he will win one of the following four majors apart from being the first teen to win one since Nadal.