He only recently emerged from his teenage years and has only competed full time on the ATP Tour for less than three seasons, but the superlatives are already running low for Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spaniard, who turned 20 on Friday, added to his growing collection of trophies on Sunday, claiming a 10th title by successfully defending his Madrid Masters crown with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff, who made history as the first lucky loser to reach a Masters 1000 final.
After missing the start of the season and the Australian Open with a hamstring injury, Alcaraz looks very much back to the peak of his powers. Frighteningly for his rivals, given his age and potential, there is a strong sense that there is still much more to come.
A prodigious, generational Spanish talent, Alcaraz has inevitably drawn comparisons with the great Rafael Nadal, and he emulated his childhood idol by becoming only the second consecutive Madrid champion in the tournament's history. He is also the youngest player to successfully defend a Masters 1000 title since Nadal at Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005-06.
“For me it is so, so special,” Alcaraz said. “To lift the trophy here in Madrid. In my country. In front of my home crowd, my family, my friends. Everyone close to me. For me it is a special feeling that I will never forget.”
Alcaraz, who after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last September became the youngest world No 1 in ATP Tour history, is poised to reach the summit for the third time this week.
All he needs to do is play one match on his Rome Masters debut and he will move back to the top again, even if he loses in the first round.
“It's going to be my first time playing Rome. I really want to play there. I missed [it] last year, so this is a tournament that I looking for since I was kid,” said Alcaraz, who has won four of the six tournaments he's entered this year, including a successful defence of his Barcelona title the week before Madrid.
“I feel very proud of the work that I’ve put in and of what I’ve been achieving. I'm an ambitious guy and I’m going for more in Rome.”
Once Rome is done and dusted, it will soon be time for the big one and Alcaraz should be regarded as firm favourite for the French Open, regardless of Nadal's availability. The 22-time major champion has been sidelined with a hip injury since the Australian Open in January and it was announced last Friday that he would also skip the Rome Masters.
Nadal has long cemented himself as the king of Roland Garros, his record 14 titles and ridiculous 112–3 win-loss record on the Parisian clay testament to his dominance.
The 36-year-old Spaniard has overcome plenty of setbacks and obstacles to triumph in Paris in the past, but this latest lengthy layoff combined with the brilliance of Alcaraz could present his toughest ever French Open challenge.
Novak Djokovic will also have something to say, both in Rome and Paris. The world No 1 missed Madrid with a minor injury but will return in the Italian capital. He is the defending and six-time champion in Rome and will be determined to throw down his own gauntlet ahead of his bid for a third French Open crown.
Yet, even with the two greatest ever male players in the field, Alcaraz will still be the man to beat in Paris. His brand of fearless, fast, athletic tennis has taken the game in a new direction, accompanied by an unflappable and steely mentality that belies his age and relative lack of experience.
Whereas other players of his generation have often struggled in the biggest finals against the two giants of the modern game, Alcaraz would undoubtedly raise his level and thrive under the pressure. It would be no surprise if he quietly wants to face Nadal or Djokovic in the French Open final, just to enhance the occasion.
“I know I have an ability to play good in the important moments,” Alcaraz said. “I am a player who grows under pressure, on the big stage, and I like to do different things in those moments. To adapt to what my opponents bring to me.
“I am a finals' player: I played 13 finals and won 10.”
That just about says it all, really.
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
UAE squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Bella Fever, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Mike de Kock (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Woven, Harry Bentley, David Simcock.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner Fore Left, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Rusumaat, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Beyond Reason, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
