Carlos Alcaraz a very complete player, he has no weaknesses: Nicolas Kiefer

Former World No. 4 Nicolas Kiefer recently shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz, describing the teenager as a "very, very complete" player with no apparent weaknesses in his game.

Speaking to Tennis.net, the German lavished praise on Alcaraz's offense and defensive skills, as well as his quick movements on the court. He further commended the World No. 2 on his varied serve and volley game, which he believes is a valuable asset to have.

"Carlos Alcaraz is a very, very complete player. In my opinion, he has no weaknesses," Nicolas Kiefer said. "He is excellent both offensively and defensively, he has incredibly fast legs. In addition, he also varies a lot with his service and volley game."

Kiefer discussed his appreciation for Holger Rune in the same interview, a player he believes is "revolutionizing tennis" with his willingness to play serve and volley. Kiefer sees the reigning Paris Masters champion as someone who is not afraid of anyone and who will help bring a new style of play to the forefront of the sport.

"With Rune we are facing a guy who is revolutionizing tennis, he is not afraid of anyone, as we saw in Paris-Bercy,'' Kiefer said.

Kiefer then proceeded to touch on the recent success of Jannik Sinner, whom he described as a little different from Alcaraz and Rune. While Sinner, the runner-up at the recently concluded Miami Open, may rely more on brute force, the German reckons he could be part of an amazing trio with Alcaraz and Rune that will dominate the men's circuit in the coming years.

"With Jannik the situation is a little different, he is a tennis player who bets more on brute force," Kiefer said.

"He [Jannik Sinner] started playing at this level of tennis a little later than Alcaraz and Rune did, which also shows that there are many roads and times to reach the top," he added.

Guido Monaco warns Carlos Alcaraz of potential injury risks

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Miami Open

Meanwhile, former Italian player Guido Monaco has issued a warning to rising tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, stating that the young player could end up "on crutches" if he doesn't make changes to his physical style of play.

Alcaraz, who has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world, has been plagued by injuries in recent months. Speaking to OA Sport, Monaco expressed concern for Alcaraz, saying:

"Alcaraz is really going to have to learn to manage himself, otherwise he's going to end up on crutches at 22."

While Monaco acknowledged Alcaraz's talent as an athlete, the Italian was of the opinion that the young player needs to learn to manage himself to avoid future injuries.

"He can't make 80 big splits per match, although we are talking about a very talented athlete. He talked about a problem with his left hand and his back after Miami," Monaco added.

While Carlos Alcaraz has had an impressive run of victories, including winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open and lifting three Masters 1000 titles so far, he has also been forced to miss important events due to injuries.

In November 2022, he was forced to retire mid-match at the Paris Masters due to an abdominal muscle tear, which also led to him pulling out of the ATP Finals. He then suffered a leg injury while preparing for the 2023 Australian Open and recently cited hand and back problems to pull out of the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.