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Former tennis player Mark Petchey has opined that Carlos Alcaraz could become one of the most impactful players the sport has ever seen, comparing him to the likes of legendary Bjorn Borg.
Borg, a 11-time Grand Slam champion, is considered one of the all-time greats of the sport. While Alcaraz is a long way off Borg's legacy, Petchey feels that the young Spaniard will leave a similar long-lasting footprint in tennis even without such monumental achievements.
Petchey took to social media to state his confidence in Alcaraz, saying:
"I don't believe @carlosalcaraz is a 20 time Major Champion as this number has become become ‘normalised’. He may not win 10. However, just like Bjorn Borg, I do believe he will be one of the most influential tennis players the game has ever had with the way he plays."
Alcaraz is currently taking part in the Argentina Open, where he played his first competitive game in 104 days on tour on Wednesday (February 15) after a series of setbacks since early November.
On his return, the World No. 2 secured a win in three sets against Laslo Djere in the Round-of-16 and qualified for the quarterfinals.
Carlos Alcaraz feeling "great" after securing his first win in 2023
Carlos Alcaraz has expressed his delight at having won his first match on tour in 2023. The Spaniard reflected on his recent injury troubles and admitted that it was "great" to finally experience the winning feeling again after such a prolonged break.
"It's a great feeling to win again. It's been a long time for me with no competition, with no matches, just recovering. Finally I got my first win of 2023," he said after defeating Laslo Djere.
The 19-year-old also expressed his gratitude towards the fans who were present at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club for the rousing reception he received on his return to the court.
"I just can say thank you to all the fans here in Buenos Aires for the warm welcome that I received in this first match and I hope to keep going with this energy," he added.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will now face Dusan Lajovic in the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open on Friday (February 17).
