Becker issues stark warning on Alcaraz living up to hype: "You have to come back, you have to defend your titles"

Boris Becker thinks that it is premature to compare Carlos Alcaraz, a teenage sensation, to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer, who are members of the Big Three.

Despite being just 19 years old, Alcaraz has already accomplished a lot, including obtaining the No. 1 ranking and winning eight career titles, including a Grand Slam. This has led to speculation that he may surpass the achievements of the Big Three in the future. Becker acknowledged that Alcaraz possesses the complete skillset required to potentially dominate men's tennis in the future.

However, he also mentioned that it can take several decades to earn a reputation like Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer and that this can only be considered once Alcaraz starts consistently defending his titles:

Read also

"Maybe I play Rybakina again and you never know": Badosa jokes on one factor that could knock returning confidence

‘’First of all, it’s a very difficult mantle to take over. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic weren’t only tennis heroes, they are sporting heroes. They are cultural icons. You talk about the young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz as the next hot thing. He’s amazing, he plays great, he looks good and has the full package as a tennis superstar. But there’s a lot more to it than playing tennis."

He added:

‘’You have to come back, you have to defend your titles, you become a representative of your country and you’re getting into boxes you didn’t think existed before. We have to be careful. Nobody is perfect and we have to watch that these tennis players are people. And people make mistakes.’’

Read also

Holger Rune dubs Federer 'most elegant player' he has ever seen on tennis court with regret in never facing him