Former world number one Roger Federer has urged the tennis community to show some patience when it comes to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.
The 20-year-old is often regarded as one of the most highly-rated young tennis players currently playing in the men’s singles category alongside Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
Despite achieving so much success so early, with some recent failures many have started to doubt whether Alcaraz will become the heir to the likes of Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Federer, who is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 20 Grand Slam titles, was recently quoted in a report where he backed Alcaraz to win silverware again and urged the fans to show some patience as well.
“He is number two in the world, but a 20-year-old tennis player cannot always be expected to win,” he said. “Now Carlos is in a year of transition, a year where it is logical that there will be more pressure because you have to maintain the high level and also because his rivals know him more.”
“He is intelligent, he is conscious and evolves, that is why I say that he is a special player, of the stature of Rafa, Roger or Novak. He still has a lot of time and can't be asked to win everything. I don't remember Rafa, Djokovic or Federer winning everything at that age.”
2 - In Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, two players under 21 will appear at the one ATP Finals for the second time since 2000, when Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt both reached that year's event. Future. #NittoATPFinals | @carlosalcaraz @holgerrune2003 @atptour @ATPMediaInfo
