Carlos Alcaraz ‘best I’ve seen at his age’ – John McEnroe hails star at French Open who ‘can win any game'

ByAlasdair Mackenzie

Published 29/05/2024 at 17:16 GMT

Carlos Alcaraz had to dig deep to battle past Jesper De Jong in the second round of the French Open as he continues his recovery from injury. But the world No. 3 has earned some high praise from Eurosport expert John McEnroe, who hailed the two-time major winner as "the best I've ever seen at his age" and a player who can "win any game on any surface".

John McEnroe has heaped praise on world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, describing the 21-year-old as the “best I’ve ever seen at his age” and a player who can “win any game on any surface".

Alcaraz has already claimed two Grand Slam titles in his short career so far, the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon crowns, and he is now bidding for his first French Open triumph on the clay courts of Paris.

The Spaniard’s preparation for a title tilt was disrupted by an arm injury that left him able to play in just one clay event, the Madrid Open, ahead of Roland-Garros.

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But Eurosport expert McEnroe believes the third seed’s talent means the sky is the limit.

“I absolutely love watching Carlos Alcaraz play,” McEnroe told Eurosport.

“He's the best player I've ever seen at his age, and we need to see more of him at this tournament and in future years.”

Alcaraz admits he was in 'trouble' against De Jong at Roland-Garros

Alcaraz blasted past J.J. Wolf in the opening round but then struggled in the second round, needing four sets and more than three hours to get past qualifier Jesper De Jong in an error-strewn display.

However, McEnroe pointed to the Spaniard’s attitude on court as one of his standout strengths and believes he will be targeting a deep run even with tempered expectations for the tournament.

“He looks pretty good, but he is a little tentative. When he unleashes his forehand it's as big as I've ever seen, it's a beautiful shot,” McEnroe said.

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“He wants to win seven matches so he may continue to hold it back a little bit. He looks like Carlos Alcaraz.

“The thing I wish I had more of when I was his age was just loving being out there. I'm sure every player would love to have his attitude. It's crazy. To be able to go through tense moments and have those ups and downs, it's so good to see.

“It's certainly true that his biggest attribute is being able to smile in tense situations. I hope it can rub off on other players.

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“I don't believe he has low expectations but maybe that's for him losing in the semi-finals. Novak said the same thing.

"Low expectations and high hopes. What does that mean? Losing in the final? It's a different stratosphere for the top guys.

“If Carlos is healthy, I believe he can win any game on any surface.”

Alcaraz will face 27th seed Sebastian Korda or South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon in the third round at Roland-Garros.

Alcaraz had a 'concentration dip' against De Jong, says Robson

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You can watch every day of the 2024 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+.

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