Tennis, like any sport, is riddled with myths that make everyone who begins to practice them, whether it is the first time they pick up a racket or when they have already won important tournaments at the highest level, dream of emulating them. And in the case of racket sport, there are three ‘gods’ who are one level above, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. Three legends that have set the tone this century, with a rivalry like few others remembertaking your discipline to the next level. But now with the Swiss and the Spaniard retired and the Serbian finishing his final years, the ‘need’ to replace them arises, and there are those who ask for passage, especially Carlos Alcaraz.
The brand new number 1 in the world is competing in the ATP Finalswhere he has just secured this honor at the end of 2026 and this Saturday he plays the semifinals against Felix Auger-Aliassime. And before this match, COPE asked him about a goal at the end of his career and he is clear about it, getting to where the three stars are: ”That is a goal at the end of my career: to see that I can sit at that table with them and that people also think that I can sit at their table at the end of my career. I think I can do it. If I thought I was not capable I would have no goals, I would have no ambition, I would have nothing. It is something important to have ambition, to have goals, and I think I can get there.”
For now, despite being only 22 years old, he is already on his way to achieving it, since his beginnings have been legendary and adds 6 Grand Slams, breaking precocity recordsand above all, demonstrating that he has the weapons to achieve a goal as ambitious as that.
Beating Djokovic is not a problem
In the same interview they have gone further, measuring how far the Murcian would be willing to go. Because yes, it is clear that reaching the heights reached by the three greatest in history, perched on the Olympus of world sport, is the ultimate goal, but their achievements have been so brutal that even without surpassing them I would be more than happy. In fact, they have asked him if he would sign on to win 23 Grand Slams, that is, one less than Novak Djokovic, although more than Nadal and Federer, and he has not had the slightest doubt about it: “Win 23 Grand Slams in my career? One less than Djokovic? I’m signing it right now!“And that is without a doubt an almost insurmountable statistic and that would lead to a figure that in itself would have a level that is difficult to quantify.
