Carlos Alcaraz exceeds the goal that he revealed to CNN this year 0:36
(CNN) --
Once a ruling dynasty is established, it can be difficult to change.
The reign of the "Big Three" -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic -- in men's tennis has lasted the entire life of Carlos Alcaraz.
On July 6, 2003, one day after Alcaraz turned two months old, Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, kicking off an era in which the "Big Three" were victorious in 61 of the last 74 Grand Slam tournaments. Slam.
Who is Carlos Alcaraz, the rising tennis star and new world number 6?
In that time, several players have been billed as the "next generation" of men's tennis;
in 2015, it was Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic;
in 2019, it was Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas;
in 2022, it is Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz (right) beat Nadal in three sets in the Madrid Open quarterfinals in early May.
Until now, none of the members of this "new generation" have consistently challenged the dominance of the "Big Three", although there is something different about Alcaraz, something not seen since the exploits of his compatriot Nadal.
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Like Nadal, Alcaraz broke into the top 10 for the first time after winning the Barcelona Open at age 18.
He is also the youngest man since Nadal to break into the top 10 and win an ATP 1000 title.
"All of these all-time great players... were either great as teenagers or showing glimpses of being great as teenagers," tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg told CNN Sport.
changing the goals
Carlos Alcaraz: my goal is to be number 1 5:27
After winning the Miami Open in April, Alcaraz explained to CNN's Don Riddell his relatively modest goals for 2022: break into the top 10 of the world rankings and reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Just three weeks later, Alcaraz broke into the top 10 after claiming victory at the Barcelona Open.
Two weeks after Barcelona, Alcaraz won his fourth title of 2022 at the Madrid Open, defeating Nadal and Djokovic en route to the final.
So far this year, he racks up a remarkable 90% win rate, a percentage that rises to 94% on clay.
Following these victories and his meteoric rise to the top of the sport, Alcaraz restated his goals for 2022.
"I would say that I am one of the favorite players to win Roland Garros," Alcaraz told CNN.
"There are a lot of great players, Rafa, Djokovic, the best players in the world are going to play there, but I think I'm ready to get a good result at Roland Garros."
If Alcaraz wants to win his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros, he will have to do it the hard way, as the 19-year-old is in the same middle of the draw as Nadal and Djokovic.
However, the Alcaraz team remains optimistic.
"Carlos will go wherever he wants," Alcaraz's physical trainer, Alberto Lledó, told CNN Sport.
"If you set a goal and continue to work with the same commitment as before, you can achieve it."
sharing special moments
Alcaraz's rise to Roland Garros favorites began in his hometown of El Palmar, just outside Murcia, where he was spotted at the age of 11 by his now-agent Albert Molina.
Four years later, Juan Carlos Ferrero - former world No. 1 and French Open runner-up - began training the youngster.
Their close relationship was on full display at the Miami Open, where Ferrero was absent for much of the tournament due to the death of his father.
"This is for Juanki. Victory is yours," Alcaraz wrote on a camera lens after his semifinal win.
Once Alcaraz reached the final, Ferrero flew to Florida to surprise and support his young protégé.
Ferrero reached the Roland Garros final in 2002. (Photo: South Florida Stadium via AP)
"It means a lot to me to be able to share this very special moment with him," Alcaraz said.
"He went through a really tough time recently. He's been away from his family for a couple of days to be with me and that's really good for me."
Ferrero and the rest of the Alcaraz team have instilled in him a mindset that emphasizes the importance of perseverance and hard work: "a culture of effort," as his physical therapist Juanjo Moreno calls it.
As is often the case with young athletes, Alcaraz's emergence at the highest level of the sport seems to have happened overnight after the huge improvements achieved during the pre-season.
In reality, it is quite the opposite, according to Moreno.
"This year we have had a long pre-season, so we have been able to focus more on his physical development, but the change in physical condition is the result of Carlos working hard for a long time, changing his work, rest and diet habits," Moreno explained.
The key to success
This "culture of effort" also translates into Alcaraz's performance on the pitch.
His athleticism is the foundation of his game, allowing him to hit aggressive groundstrokes and bold defense from all areas of the court.
"I think I'm going for everything in every game and at every moment," says Alcaraz.
"I don't fear anything, I don't mind playing against any player in the world."
It is this consistency across all areas of the game that seems to be the key to his success.
It doesn't have an overwhelming force - like an extraordinarily powerful serve - that can be neutralized by specific tactics, nor does it have an obvious weakness.
Alcaraz is in his second full season on the ATP Tour.
(Photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
"He's an incredibly complete player for someone so young and he can do it all," Rothenberg said.
"He seems very sharp tactically, he has a very good tennis IQ and physically he has been very good as well."
For Lledó, it is Alcaraz's mentality and "the personality he shows in difficult moments, his way of dealing with them" that marks him out as a special talent.
In his quarterfinal match against Nadal at the Madrid Open, for example, Alcaraz was outscored 6-1 in the second set, but still came from behind to win the match, while in the semi-final he beat Djokovic. by 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(5).
In addition to Alcaraz's prodigious talent on the pitch, he has a natural charm and wide smile that endear him to the crowd wherever he plays.
"No one has a bad word to say about him," Rothenberg said.
"Another Star Was Born"
With every championship Alcaraz wins, the media buzz around him grows a little more, as men's tennis yearns for a new story and a new star.
In Spain, the country's sports newspapers hailed their new conquering hero after his victory at the Madrid Open.
"Charlie you are great", said the Marca headline;
El País declared that "another star was born", while the cover of AS simply read "Blessed" in front of a photo of Zverev pouring champagne on Alcaraz.
Alcaraz himself seems to avoid most of this coverage.
"A lot of people were looking at me, congratulating me," Alcaraz told CNN after his victory in Miami.
"Social media right now is like a boom, and I haven't had time to read everything yet, but it's amazing how many people and newspapers are talking about you."
The young Spanish tennis player has become a great star in his country.
(Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
As for changing the regime that has governed men's tennis for the last two decades, Alcaraz is reluctant to present himself as a revolutionary heralding a new era.
"I'm a lucky guy to learn from these men (Nadal, Federer and Djokovic) so close, to share a locker room, to share courts," he said.
"I hope to see you for many years."
But regardless of how long the "Big Three" may prolong their illustrious careers, Roland Garros could be about to witness the first genuine challenge to the established order in men's tennis in a long time.