As he gets ready to take part in the Rome Masters for the first time, Carlos Alcaraz hopes to unseat Novak Djokovic as the world’s top player.
Alcaraz, who just defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in his title defence match in Madrid on Sunday, is poised to surpass Djokovic in the rankings by simply competing in Rome. Alcaraz has no points to defend, while Djokovic, the Rome winner from the previous year, is unable to accrue more points.
The 20-year-old tennis pro from Spain has had an outstanding start to his career, taking home the U.S. Open title and topping the rankings at a young age. Alcaraz is motivated to keep getting better because he has his sights set on the French Open, which begins on May 28. He says, “I am an ambitious guy and I’m going full for the win in Rome.”
Alcaraz has achieved success by persevering under duress and adapting in crucial matches. He has won 10 of the 13 finals he has competed in. Since Rafael Nadal in 2005–2006, he is the youngest player to successfully defend an ATP Masters 1000 title. He joins Nadal as the only back-to-back Madrid champion.
