Carlos Alcaraz: five titles in his first five finals, a balance that the 'Big Three' cannot even boast of

• Shamelessly natural review

• Alcaraz "I don't want to limit myself"

"What they have instilled in me from a very young age is that the finals are not played, they are won. And the final was my best match of the tournament, without a doubt".

These are the words of

after defeating

6-3, 6-2 last Sunday, in just one hour and five minutes, to win the Conde de Godó in Barcelona, ​​his fourth ATP title, fifth in his career, including the Next Gen ATP Finals.

The young man who today looks for the first time as number 9 in the world leads by example.

All his presences in the fight for a title have been successful.

On July 25, 2021, he raised his first cup at the ATP 250 in Umag, beating

by a double 6-2.

At the end of it he won the tournament that brings together the eight best of the season under 21 years.

He beat

, the man he recently lost to on his debut at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, 4-3 (5), 4-2, 4-2 (in this tournament the sets are the best of seven games with a tiebreaker in the event of a three-way tie).

Already this year, in the course of his explosion, he became the youngest ATP 500 champion, defeating

6-4, 6-2 in Rio de Janeiro.

The next step came in Miami, with the victory against

by 7-5 and 6-4.

Five out of five.

only three defeats

Alcaraz has only lost three games this season.

In addition to the one mentioned against Korda, he fell in five sets against

in the third round of the Australian Open and against

in the semifinals of Indian Wells, demanding three sets and physical wear and tear that led to the injury to the ribs of the who is just recovering.

This Sunday, in Barcelona, ​​he had two hours less to recover before facing Carreño in the final.

Both '

' due to the rain, but, while the Spaniard had no problem beating Schwartzman in the semifinals, Alcaraz was pushed to the limit by

, to the point of having to neutralize two match points.

The El Palmar player, who turns 19 on May 5, showed no physical hindrance in an impeccable performance.

A very different case

Felix Auger-Aliassime

, 21 years old, a tennis player of undoubted talent, who dominated Alcaraz 6-3 and 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the last United States Open when the Spaniard had to retire injured, has a disappointing balance so far at the time of 'define'.

The Canadian, who last February won his first title in Rotterdam by beating

, has lost nine finals: last year in Marseille, in Stuttgart and in the Melbourne 1 tournament;

in 2020, in Cologne, Marseille and Rotterdam;

and in Stuttgart, Lyon and Rio in 2019.

The review in the

'among players who are generationally close to Alcaraz raises his degree of distinction.

Only

, 12th, 20 years old, comes close.

The Italian has won five titles, Antwerp, Sofia (twice), Washington and Melbourne 1. Of course, he lost the final in Miami last year.

Korda, 21 years old, 37th, won his only title in Parma, in 2021, and lost the Delray Beach final that same season.

Alcaraz's career requires a different caliber, but he also succeeds in that demanding comparison.

Let's go to the

.

Nadal, 91 titles, 38 finals lost, lost to

, in Auckland, the first final of his career, before taking the title in Sopot, winning, already in 2005 in Costa do Sauipe and in Acapulco to later lose to

in five sets in Miami.

4-1 favorable in his first five finals.

Federer, 103 titles, 54 lost finals.

He won his first final, in Milan, against

, in 2001, but lost three of the next four: Basel, that same year, and, already in 2002, Milan and Miami, after starting the season taking the second title in Sydney. his career.

Novak Djokovic

, 86 titles, 38 finals.

His balance in the first five approaches to titles is 3-2.

He was right in his first attempt: Amersfoort, 2006, against

, but fell that same season in Umag against

, to later beat

in Metz .

In 2007 he won the Adelaide tournament by beating

and then lost to Nadal in Indian Wells.

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