Carlos Alcaraz is chasing a slice of tennis immortality as he arrives at Wimbledon’s pristine lawns, where he has the opportunity to join an illustrious but short list of men who have won the grasscourt Grand Slam three years in a row.
The Spaniard could join an elite club of just four men – Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – who have claimed three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open era.
Yet the 22-year-old Alcaraz, radiating confidence that belies his youth, says the only thing on his mind is the trophy itself and not its legacy.
“I’m coming here thinking that I really want to win the title, I really want to lift the trophy, not thinking about how many players have won three Wimbledons in a row,” Alcaraz told reporters on Saturday.
“I just want to be ready, to prepare myself in the best way possible to start the tournament with a lot of confidence. Obviously I feel a lot of confidence right now,” he added with a smile.
“Two weeks could be really long in a Grand Slam but right now I’m not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.”
Such confidence is not misplaced, after he cemented his status as the Prince of Clay when he won a 5-1/2 hour epic to beat Jannik Sinner in the French Open final earlier this month.
The world number two is now seeking to extend his reign on the grasscourts as well, warming up for Wimbledon by winning the Queen’s Club Championship for a second time.
Once billed as a claycourt specialist as he climbed up the rankings, Alcaraz now speaks of grasscourts with the reverence of a true convert, saying that the “most beautiful tennis that we can watch” is on grass.
“The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass, I think is so beautiful. The sound of the ball, the movement is really tough – but when you get it, it’s like you’re flying,” he said.
“It’s just pretty to me because I really want to hit slices, dropshots, go to the net all the time and play aggressively. I think on grass it’s the style that you have to play, so that’s what I like the most.”
What truly sets Alcaraz apart from other players is his fearlessness in the face of adversity, evident from how he saved three championship points against Sinner to eventually lift a second straight title at Roland Garros.
“When I’m playing without thinking about anything else, but just playing or just thinking about the enjoyment, I think I get that freedom to play whatever I like – I just enjoy,” he explained.
“When that happens, I always show my best tennis, my best level. So far I’m feeling the most freedom that I’ve played.”
