Former Australian Open finalist John Lloyd believes that
current world number Carlos Alcaraz is like an ‘animal’ on the court.
The 20-year-old will start Wimbledon 2023 as the top-seed
player in the men’s singles category. His opener will be up against France’s Jeremy
Chardy on Tuesday.
Former Britain’s number one Lloyd heaped praise on Alcaraz, who according to him is a fast learner.
"The guy’s an animal,” he said. “After watching him at
Queen’s, he’s a genuine contender to win. In the first round he was lucky to
get through and I was thinking, boy he’s got a long way to go. But he just grew
in the next three matches — it’s like he went from 10 years old to 25 in a
week, in terms of learning to play on grass.”
Alcaraz will have his work cut out when he will start his
Wimbledon campaign, especially after being rated as the top seed ahead of the likes
of defending champion Novak Djokovic.
The 20-year-old, despite winning the US Open last year, is yet
to deliver at the grass court where his best outing was last year where he was knocked
out from the fourth round after suffering a defeat against Italy’s Jannik
Sinner with the score of 6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.