Former world number one
John McEnroe believes Spain’s young tennis star
Carlos Alcaraz’s biggest weapon is his smile. The 21-year-old is often regarded as one of the most highly-rated players currently playing in the men’s singles category, along with Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slams in his career and is
currently working as a pundit and tennis commentator, was recently quoted in a report
where he heaped praise on the attitude of Alcaraz. The 65-year-old highlighted that Alcaraz’s biggest weapon is his ‘smile’ in tense situations, which can ‘rub off’ any player.
“I absolutely love watching Carlos Alcaraz play,” said McEnroe.
“He's the best player I've ever seen at his age, and we need to see more of him
at this tournament and in future years. The thing I wish I had more of when I
was his age was just loving being out there. I'm sure every player would love
to have his attitude. It's crazy. To be able to go through tense moments and
have those ups and downs, it's so good to see. It's certainly true that his
biggest attribute is being able to smile in tense situations. I hope it can rub
off on other players.”
Alcaraz is currently taking part in the
French Open where he
started brightly, defeating America’s J.J. Wolf in the opening round in
straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. In the second round, he got the
better of Netherlands’ Jesper De Jong with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.