
Carlos Alcaraz told how many Grand Slams he's guaranteed after Wimbledon defeat
Andy Roddick says he's changed his mind about Carlos Alcaraz following the Spaniard's loss to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final. The reigning champion was comprehensively beaten on Centre Court as Sinner secured his fourth major championship - and his maiden title at the All England Club.
Although Alcaraz claimed the opening set 6-4, Sinner surged ahead to win the following three sets by the same margin, becoming the first Italian ever to win a Wimbledon singles title. In contrast to his dramatic five-set triumph over Sinner in last month's French Open final, Alcaraz was unable to deliver one of the dramatic comebacks that have become his signature in high-stakes matches.
Still, despite the loss, the 22-year-old's performance was impressive enough to cause Roddick - who reached the Wimbledon final three times - to re-evaluate his stance. "I remember being at the US Open the first year that Alcaraz won [2022]. Going into the quarters, the hype machine was rightfully just out of control," the American recalled on his Quick Served podcast.
"People were coming up to me going like, 'Is this guy going to win 10 majors?' And they would say it and I'm thinking like, 'Man, [Bjorn] Borg won 11 majors. Are we just going to hand this kid 10 majors nonchalantly? I have a hard time doing that'.
"If you told me he's going to win majors, I'm like yeah, he's going to win majors. But throwing out 10, you know, 12. Is he going to match the 'Big Three' [ Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer ]? I'm going, 'That's crazy'... [but it's] easier to sit here now and say, you know what, he's going to win 10 majors!"
Since turning professional four years ago, Alcaraz has accumulated titles at an extraordinary rate. With five majors already under his belt - one-quarter of Federer's career haul - he's on a path that, if sustained, could see him beat Djokovic's historic mark of 24 Slams before hitting his mid-30s.
That said, Sinner's emergence - and his relentless recent form - might put a spanner in the works. The 23-year-old handed Alcaraz his first loss in a Grand Slam final and has now taken home four of the last seven major trophies, placing him firmly alongside Alcaraz as a dominant force in the sport.
Yet fans yearning for a heated, old-school rivalry in the mould of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors might be disappointed, with both players displaying mutual admiration and respect following their clash.
"I would like to start with Carlos, again, amazing tournament but mostly thank you for the player you are," Sinner said in his post-match speech.
"It's so difficult to play against you but we have, as you said, an amazing relationship off the court, and on the court we just try to build up and for doing that we need the best teams in the world and also you have the best team. So keep going, keep pushing, you are going to hold many, many times this trophy, you have already two, so!"
Alcaraz echoed those feelings, emphasising their strong connection despite the fierce battles they've shared. "Every time we play each other, I think our level is really high," he said. "We don't see a level like this. I don't see any player playing against each other having the level we're playing when we face each other.
"This rivalry, it's becoming better and better. We're playing in the finals of Grand Slams, finals of Masters and the best tournaments in the world. It's going to get better.
"I'm just really grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to just give my 100 per cent every practice, every day, just to be better. The level that I have to maintain and I have to raise if I want to beat Jannik is really high."

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