French Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz will 'make players way more money' says Mats Wilander - 'The Tiger Woods effect'
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ByEurosport
Updated 02/06/2023 at 10:35 GMT
Carlos Alcaraz is the name on everyone's lips in the tennis world as he continues to take the sport by storm. Alcaraz, 20, is the world No. 1 and top seed at Roland-Garros, and Eurosport expert Mats Wilander believes the Spaniard can have a similar impact on tennis as Tiger Woods had on golf. Stream the 2023 French Open live on Eurosport and discovery+
Alcaraz wraps up second-round match against Daniel in style
Carlos Alcaraz can have a similar impact on tennis as Tiger Woods had on golf, according to Eurosport expert Mats Wilander.
Alcaraz, 20, is the world No. 1 and top seed at Roland-Garros as he seeks his second Grand Slam title and first on the famous red dirt in Paris.
The Spaniard progressed into the third round of the French Open following a 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-2 win over Taro Daniel and has been tipped to challenge Novak Djokovic for the trophy.
And Wilander believes Alcaraz has the potential to bring tennis to another level in years to come.
“I mean, honestly, when Roger Federer arrived it wasn't a big deal because he wasn't as good when he was very young,” said Wilander.
“He'd beat Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, and then suddenly when Federer started winning Grand Slams, he became the biggest thing that tennis had ever seen because of the gracefulness that he played with.
“Now you take Carlos Alcaraz, who, for me, is the birth of a tennis player who has lived his life watching Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“I don't think he's based his game on anyone but he's been sort of poisoned by watching these guys play.
“He moves like Djokovic, he's passionate like Nadal, he has shot making skills like Federer.
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Alcaraz still has 'some ups and downs' according to Corretja
“But the one thing that these guys didn't do, is they didn't show the world that they're having so much fun all the time.
“And that's why Carlos Alcaraz, to me, is going to be the main reason why tennis players – especially on the men's side – are going to start making way more money.
“He's going to be like the Tiger Woods effect because people want to be a part of tennis because of Carlos Alcaraz.”
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Alcaraz wraps up second-round match against Daniel in style
Next up for Alcaraz is a fourth-round match with Denis Shapovalov, who Wilander once described as a "combination of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer" after defeating the former in the Canadian Open back in 2017.
Wilander admits Shapovalov hasn't lived up to expectations, but he still believes the 24-year-old has the ability to trouble Alcaraz on Philippe-Chatrier.
“He’s a very, very good player,” said Wilander.
“Because of his technique and the serve and being left-handed and because of the way he moves, expectations were really high on him. And I don't think that he has lived up to those expectations because of his style of play.
“If you're going to play against Carlos Alcaraz here, you have to take risks and you have to play fast because if you don't Alcaraz will toy with you. So yes, for me, this is a horrible situation for Carlos Alcaraz, if there is such a one.
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Watch incredible Alcaraz point with TWO tweeners in rally with Daniel
“Denis is definitely a player that nobody wants to play. Nobody. I don't care who you are, on any surface, you don't want to play him because you don't know what's going to happen. Sometimes Denis himself, I think doesn't really know what's going to happen and that's why he loves to compete and love to play.
“But this can be a tricky match. Now, can he put it together for five sets or for three out-of-five sets to beat Alcaraz?
“I think his potential hasn't been reached, and I think that Dennis will be a great player one day, whether it's for two weeks or whether it's for a year or two years or three, I don't know. But I think he will have a great result in a Grand Slam before he's done.”
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