Rick Macci backs Carlos Alcaraz for tennis greatness - 'He is a combination of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Agassi'
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Published 23/11/2023 at 15:49 GMT
Rick Macci, former coach to both the Williams sisters, has tipped Carlos Alcaraz to win a "bucket of Grand Slams" in his career and believes there has never been a player like the Spaniard. Alcaraz is a two-time Grand Slam champion at the age of just 20 having won the 2022 US Open and this year's Wimbledon title. He did, however, lose to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals.
Alcaraz v Djokovic - ATP Finals highlights
Renowned American tennis coach Rick Macci has showered Carlos Alcaraz with praise, describing the Spaniard as a combination of four of the best players in the history of the sport.
Alcaraz fully announced himself on the world stage when he won the 2022 US Open at the age of just 19, and added a second Grand Slam title in 2023 with a thrilling five-set victory over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.
That was his last triumph of the season, which ended at the hands of Djokovic in the last-four showdown at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Nevertheless, Macci, a former coach to both Serena and Venus Williams, believes Alcaraz is a talent like no other and tipped him to win “a bucket of Grand Slams” during his career.
“Alcaraz, we’ve never seen anything like this,” Macci said, on the Match Point Canada podcast. “We’ve never seen it.
“He is a combination of, I tell everybody, [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, Djokovic and [Andre] Agassi, all wrapped in one.
“He has make-up speed like no other. Once he hits that other gear his turbo speed is amazing.
“He has a drop shot from outer space. He has missed more drop shots as a kid than anybody who has played tennis because he has tried more – and whoever coached him as a kid would not discourage that.
“I think he is going to get such a bucket of Grand Slams, it’s unreal. I feel, in my opinion, he is by far, the leader in the clubhouse.”
Similar comparisons were drawn after Alcaraz downed Djokovic in this year’s epic Wimbledon final. But he has since lost twice to the Serbian, first in the Cincinnati Masters final and then in the semi-finals of the season-ending showdown in Turin.
Alcaraz admitted in the aftermath of that straight-sets defeat he had work to do in the off-season if he wanted to challenge Djokovic for the biggest titles, with the Australian Open just around the corner.
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'I am not at his level indoors' - Alcaraz after defeat to Djokovic ATP Finals
“Right now I know all the things I have to improve if I want to be there, if I want to beat the best player in the world,” Alcaraz said.
“With Juan Carlos [Ferrero], we have to talk about the pre-season, what we have to practice, what we have to do. Obviously, I'll rewatch the match to see my weakness, just to improve it and be a better player.
“I will forget all the matches that I played against him, the Wimbledon final, the Cincinnati, Roland Garros, and I'm going to focus on this match because I felt like I have to improve a lot of things if I want to stay at his level.”
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Djokovic: When Sinner and Alcaraz 'start to kick my butt' I'll consider retirement
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