Carlos Alcaraz aiming to learn from Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to elevate his game

Carlos Alcaraz’s 2023 debut will come in Buenos Aires, and the Spaniard is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and elevate his game to new heights.

Alcaraz was one of the breakthrough players of the 2022 season, as he won his maiden Grand Slam at the US Open and rose to world No. 1.

Those highs were levelled off by the low of an injury at the Paris Masters which ended his campaign.

A setback early in 2023 saw him miss the first major of the year at the Australian Open, but he is on the path to full fitness and ready to hit the ground running.

“I’ve come a few days early, to train with really good players, gradually improve and to be able to start the tournament as well as possible,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz has friends and family with him in Argentina, as he feels that is the best way of helping get the most out of his talent and achieve balance in his life.

“They’re here and I also count my team as family: Juanjo [Moreno], my physio, Albert Molina and Toni [Antonio Martínez Cascales],” he said. “I have a great time with them.

“At the end of the day, the time on court is two or three hours a day. The rest of the time you have to do things you enjoy, that make you feel good so that you can do as well as possible in the tournament. They come to support me, but also to bring that part of ‘home’, which is also very important.”

At 19, Alcaraz has his best years ahead of him. There is no chance of him taking his eye off the ball – as he cites tennis legends Nadal, Djokovic and Federer, who have a combined 64 majors, as players to learn from.

“I think I can improve everything in terms of my game, fitness and mentality,” he said. “Little by little, my team will take those small steps to get even better.

“Rafa, Roger and Djokovic, when they were young, they were so good, but as time has gone by, they’ve improved.

“I’m certain that I need to continue to improve. Achieving my dream very quickly caught me by surprise, so to speak. Now I’m used to it, I have a goal, I know where I want to get to, what I want to be, and that is the most important thing.”

Alcaraz will take the first steps on his 2023 journey against either Fabio Fognini or Laslo Djere in the Argentina Open.