"Carlos Alcaraz could be one of the greatest, it's very impressive what he's done so far" - Feliciano Lopez

Day Fourteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2023
Day Fourteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2023 LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain holds the Men's Singles Trophy following his victory in the Men's Singles Final against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2023 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Feliciano Lopez believes that Carlos Alcaraz could go on to become one of the best players in the sport of tennis and that all of the youngster's achievements so far are "impressive."

41-year-old Lopez, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, heaped praise on Carlos Alcaraz following the latter's spectacular victory against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports News, Lopez spoke about his countryman's meteoric journey to the top so early in his career. He stressed the fact that how rare it was to see someone like Carlos Alcaraz defeating Djokovic and winning a Major at the age of 20.

"It's very rare to see someone like Carlos winning titles at 20 years old, being able to really challenge Novak Djokovic in the final yesterday at Wimbledon," Lopez said.

Lopez further added how much pressure the World No. 1 had endured since the beginning, as he was always compared to the Big 3 — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic. Nevertheless, the former player was impressed with the way Alcaraz managed the pressure.

"He's carrying a lot of pressure since he started playing professional tennis, the comparison with [Rafael] Nadal and [the rest of] the Big Three is going to be always there. But he seems to be comfortable carrying the pressure and it's very impressive what he's done so far," Lopez added.

Lopez, who retired earlier this year, remarked that based on what the 20-year-old had accomplished thus far, he was on the path to being one of the greatest players ever. However, he added that it would be premature to say so, at least until the Spanish prodigy had claimed somewhere around 15 Grand Slam titles.

"If I take everything that he's done already, I could say that he could be one of the greatest but on the other hand, it's very early to say. What about 15 Grand Slams? How does that sound?" Lopez concluded.

Carlos Alcaraz shares his thoughts on possible rival

After winning his maiden grasscourt Major title, Carlos Alcaraz recently sat down for an interview with TyC Sports, where he was asked about the importance of having a great rival or a nemesis for him to grow.

The Spaniard acknowledged the need for a rivalry and how it would help him reach new heights. The two-time Grand Slam champion stated that he already had one such competitor — Jannik Sinner.

“Super important. Having someone there, with whom you fight, with whom you have that battle, that beautiful rivalry, is important to maintain motivation for so long," Alcaraz said.
"Right now, I think I have it and I'm not afraid to say it: for me it's Sinner at the moment. That beautiful rivalry that we have, those big games that we have played, on big stages. As the years go by there will be better ones and we will fight for the big titles," he added.

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