How Alcaraz shapes up against ‘big three’

CARLOS Alcaraz will bid to become only the eighth teenager to win a men’s Grand Slam title at the French Open, which starts tomorrow.

Here, AFP Sport takes a look at how the Spanish sensation’s early achievements rank compared to those of the ‘big three’ of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic early in their careers:

First ATP title

Alcaraz had been 18 for less than three months when he lifted his first ATP trophy in Croatia last year, but was not as quick to achieve the feat as Nadal.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion won the first of his 91 titles when he was eight days younger, on clay in Poland in 2004.

Federer and Djokovic were 19 when they got their tallies under way in 2001 and 2006 respectively.

First Masters title

Alcaraz was 18 years and 333 days old when he won the Miami Open last month, beating Casper Ruud in the final.

Nadal was two weeks younger when he lifted his first Masters crown in Monte Carlo in 2005.

Federer was three months from turning 21 when he won in Hamburg in 2002, while Djokovic was 19 when he emerged victorious in Miami five years later.

Entry into top 10

Alcaraz climbed into the top 10 for the first time exactly 17 years to the day after Nadal, on April 25, the day after winning the Barcelona Open.

That was 10 days before his 19th birthday, while Nadal was 18 years, 10 months and 22 days old when he reached the top 10.

Djokovic reached the top 10 when he was 19, while Federer had to wait until less than three months before turning 21.

First Grand Slam played

All four players were 17 when they first appeared in a Grand Slam.

Alcaraz’s debut at the highest level came at last year’s Australian Open. Federer’s was at the 1999 French Open, Nadal’s came at Wimbledon in 2003 and Djokovic’s in the 2005 Australian Open.

Quickest to 50 wins

Alcaraz is the fastest to reach this milestone. It took the current world number six just 70 matches, beating Djokovic’s 79.

Nadal needed 81 matches to bring up his half-century, while Federer reached the mark in his 97th match. First Grand Slam title

Nadal had been 19 for only two days when he won the first of his 13 French Open titles in 2005 and Alcaraz can no longer do better than his compatriot.

His best effort so far was reaching the US Open quarter-finals aged 18 last year, breaking the record for that tournament in the Open era.

Djokovic was 20 years and eight months when he defeated Jo-wilfried Tsonga in the 2008 Australian Open final, while Federer was almost 22 when he took the honours at the 2003 Wimbledon. | AFP