"Alcaraz is better than Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic at 21," according to John McEnroe

John McEnroe has made a bold statement, claiming that Carlos Alcaraz, at 21, surpasses Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic at the same age. The seven-time Grand Slam champion believes Alcaraz is the most complete and skilled young player he has ever seen.

The Spanish sensation recently clinched his third Grand Slam title at the French Open, becoming the youngest player in history to win three Grand Slam titles on different surfaces. His victories include the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Wimbledon, and he has already held the world No. 1 ranking for 36 weeks.

American legend McEnroe weighed in on Alcaraz's prospects ahead of his final against Alexander Zverev, predicting the world No. 3 would prevail. Unlike Zverev, who lost his only Grand Slam final to Dominic Thiem in 2020, Alcaraz had already won both of his previous Grand Slam finals.

McEnroe compared Alcaraz to the Big-3 at 21. Djokovic had one Grand Slam title from the Australian Open, Nadal had three titles from Roland Garros, and Federer had yet to win his first Grand Slam, which he achieved at 22 at Wimbledon.

"I’ve got to say this, just for the record, Carlos Alcaraz is my favorite player to watch. He's the most skilled young man I've ever seen playing at this age. It's hard to imagine he can keep improving because he is so good at everything already," McEnroe said during the pre-show of the 2024 French Open final.

"But he's better than Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic at 21 for me... Alcaraz is a unique individual that we need around in the sport for a long time. You’ve got to love what he brings to the sport," McEnroe added.

McEnroe also highlighted Alcaraz's infectious energy and joy on the court as key factors in his success: "The biggest thing is his smile that he brings to the court. That joy of competing which is so hard to be able to do, to enjoy when you're stressing out," McEnroe said.

Alcaraz himself has emphasized the importance of his positive attitude: "I am winning all the time because I am smiling. And I always said that smiling for me is the key to everything. I enjoy being in this kind of stadium, this kind of tournament, cities. That's the most important for me, to enjoy, and that's why I smile all the time," Alcaraz shared at the start of the French Open.