Australian Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz can eclipse even Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, says Mats Wilander

Carlos Alcaraz's impact on tennis means he "could be the single most important player we have ever had", reckons seven-time major winner Mats Wilander.

Unfortunately, the Spaniard is out of the Australian Open this month after suffering a leg injury in pre-season training and his absence leaves his countryman, and the defending champion, Rafael Nadal as the top seed at Melbourne Park.

Alcaraz ripped up the record books in 2022, becoming the youngest-ever men's world No. 1 by winning the US Open, his first major. He did so by playing a fearless, energetic brand of tennis that entertained fans in a way that - Wilander reckons - may even prove to be something Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic can't match.

Talking to Eurosport's Arnold Montgault ahead of the Australian Open about the precocious Spaniard, Wilander said: "For me to see Alcaraz winning the US Open was the most probably most exciting tournament that I've seen in the 20+ years that I've worked in TV or in media as an analyst.

"I have said that I think if Alcaraz can keep winning - and I've even told [Alcaraz's coach] Juan Carlos Ferrero this in private - he could turn out to be the single most important tennis player that we have ever had in our sport.

"People are going to say, what do you mean? Isn't Roger Federer...? Isn't Rafael Nadal...? Yes, they are absolutely, incredibly important. But here you have a guy who is trying so hard, he is so fast, he is playing with so many different shots, and he's serving and volleying at 15-30. He's 19 years old! He's hitting drop shots at 15-30, he's 19 years old! Then he dives, and at the end of it, he's smiling and he's laughing.

"So if I'm a parent, I'm going to look at Alcaraz, and I'm going to say, 'Whoa, whoa, that's the No. 1 player in the world? And he's having that much fun? You kids, you are all going to play this sport because that seems to be a life-changing situation.'

"I'm not saying he's going to win 10-15 majors, but I really hope that he keeps winning because that's exactly the role model that we need to spread the message of how fun tennis can be and how it is supposed to be played.

"It's not taking anything away from the 'Big Three', obviously, because they took it to the next level. But in terms of the happiness... It's amazing the atmosphere that he creates on the court with the people that are watching him, including all of us."

Fellow Eurosport expert John McEnroe concurred with Wilander in that he hopes Alcaraz retains the joy he plays with, but - drawing on his own experience - he wondered aloud whether Alcaraz would be able to avoid a dip at some stage.

"I think he’s a great kid, he’s just got a great spirit about him and so people gravitate towards him," McEnroe said.

"It wasn’t quite the same with me, I loved the working your way to the top. I think that was the most fun couple of years I ever had on the tour, but obviously when you’re the target and you have that on your back and everyone is trying to beat you because you’re the best. it’s a whole different mindset, not only from the players you’re playing but yourself, and so that element of that expectation and pressure you put on yourself naturally, and then the feeling that you want to back up what you did, makes it far more difficult.

"Now, a win over Alcaraz is a lot bigger than it was a year ago, for anybody, so the key is to try and embrace the idea, I think of being able to enjoy it, but at the same time looking for ways to understand what it’s going to take to stay there because it’s one thing to get there but I believe it’s far more difficult to maintain that.

"That’s what makes these three guys, Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, so great that they lifted each other's games and they were able to continue to improve. I think they've done that better than anyone, better than me, better than almost any player I’ve ever seen play.

"Carlos seems like the type of player that’s got an incredible all-around game already, so he’ll hone his skills a little bit emotionally, as well as the technical part of the game, and continue to believe in the team around him.

"I think having Ferrero seems to have been a godsend for him, someone that understands what it takes, the type of guy he needs.

"It’s going to be very interesting to see how he handles it. I worry a little bit because it’s a lot to put on some kid's shoulders at 19. I became No. 1 briefly at 21 and then I lost the ranking again, it was another year, a year and a half before I got it back for good for a while. So it will be interesting to see what happens with him, if he’s able to maintain or else they talk about a 'sophomore slump' a little bit, and it’s hard to imagine something like that won’t happen to a certain degree.

"Hopefully, the main thing for me is that he continues to have that joy of playing, you want to figure out a way where he bottles that and to stay healthy. All athletes need that and no one knows for sure how that plays out.

"He’s an incredible athlete and one of the most refreshing players I’ve seen in the last 10, 15 years."

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Stream the 2023 Australian Open live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk