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Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘scary’ surge: US Open win sparks Roger Federer warning – ‘Good chance he breaks record…’
The statement came after Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim his second career major in New York
Tennis legend Mats Wilander strongly believes that there is a "good chance" that Carlos Alcaraz could match Roger Federer's tally of 20 Grand Slam wins. The statement came after Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim his second career major in New York, which further took his tally to six career Slams.
The win not only made Alcaraz the first man to win multiple Slams on three different surfaces before turning 23, but also made the 22-year-old the second-youngest to reach the total of six career majors after Bjorn Borg.
The Swedish legend, who retired at the age of 25, ended his career with 11 Grand Slams, and Wilander, speaking to TNT Sports, backed Alcaraz to not just surpass that tally, but also match Federer's record.
"I think he’ll win so much more," Wilander said. "The question is, will he win as much as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Will he win 20 Slams? There is a good chance he will."
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The Swiss maestro's feat was once considered invincible, until Nadal ended his reign with a stunning Australian Open haul in 2022. Later, Novak Djokovic surpassed the mark and now has 24 career majors to his name.
Alcaraz won two of the four Grand Slams this year, having earlier retained his French Open crown. Wilander, however, was all praise for the Spaniard's flawless game in the US Open, where he dropped just one set en route to the title, and was broken only thrice in seven matches.
"He was so focused, he didn’t make many unforced errors. If he can serve like he did today, I don’t think there is any weakness whatsoever," said Wilander.
"He was as sharp as he’s been all tournament and he was too good. He’s still so young - that’s what scary. He’s got six majors, back to world No. 1 which is huge for him.
"I thought Jannik Sinner was going to come out on top but Carlos Alcaraz - wow - when he plays well he really is the best player in the world.
"It’s a huge victory. Day in and day out, you play for the world No. 1 ranking. He’s got it back - and it’s not easy to get it back."
The win in New York also saw Alcaraz reclaim the world No. 1 ranking for the first time since September 2023. It will also be his fifth stint at the top ranking spot, and his 37th week overall.
Wilander said: "He’s good everywhere. He’s so solid, so nice, the niceness is the best part.
"He’s a great player but he’s so nice, so humble, so youthful and having fun all the time. He’s a great ambassador for our sport. He’s been with the same team since he was very young."
He added: "They both know they have the tennis world by the hands and they’re controlling it. They’re going to split the Grand Slams every year for a very long time to come."
