Andy Murray believes world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz can stay at the top of men’s tennis for as long as he wants to play.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has hailed Alcaraz’s all-around game which he describes as effective on all surfaces. Murray was on course to play the world No.1 in the third round of the Miami Masters but lost his opening match to Dusan Lajovic on Tuesday. They have previously played each other on the tour twice during 2021 with their head-to-head level at 1-1.
“He has an excellent game, an all-around game that I think will translate well onto all surfaces,” Murray said of Alcaraz.
Alcaraz burst onto the main stage of men’s tennis last year when he won five ATP titles, including two Masters 1000 events and the US Open. Last September he topped the rankings for the first time in his career before becoming the youngest year-end No.1 player in history. He is also the youngest player to have beaten both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the same tournament, as well as the youngest to win the US Open since 1990.
The 19-year-old has managed to continue his winning run into 2023 with him winning the Argentina Open in what was his first tournament following an injury-related break. More recently he won his third Masters title in Indian Wells which also moved him back to the No.1 spot. Alcaraz must also win Miami if he wants to retain the position heading into the clay season. If he doesn’t, Djokovic will return to the top.
“He’s not the biggest guy, but he can serve big. He’s an unbelievable mover and a great athlete. Has a lot of variety in his game,” Murray comments on Alcaraz’s style of play.
“That’s something that you hope that he keeps that. I know from experience that it’s a bit easier playing that way when you’re sort of 18, or 19, and there’s not any sort of scar tissue there. I hope that he maintains that style of play because it’s exciting to watch.”
After achieving a series of milestones at such a young age, the question is how successful could Alcaraz become in the future. Some have made bold predictions that he will win multiple Grand Slams in the future which will go into the double digits. However, Murray has warned against such expectations.
“He’s so far in his young career doing better than most of the guys that have come (to the Tour) in the last sort of eight to 10 years. I know a lot of people are sort of expecting everyone to win 20-plus Grand Slams now, like that’s sort of normal. I wouldn’t predict that for anyone,” he said.
“I would imagine he would be right at the top of the game for, well, as long as he wants to play.”
Alcaraz will begin his Miami campaign later this week against Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis. Meanwhile, Murray will soon be travelling to southern Spain for a training block following his exit from the tournament.
