"He has the desire & hunger of Nadal, the things of Djokovic who fights you every ball & the talent that Federer has shown for a long time" - Nicolas Almagro on US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz wins the first Grand Slam of his career
Carlos Alcaraz wins the first Grand Slam of his career

Spanish teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz is on cloud nine following his US Open triumph, becoming the youngest player to be at the zenith of the ATP rankings.

Several players and coaches have come forward to speak in favor of the 19-year-old and former top-10 stalwart Nicolas Almagro recently joined the bandwagon and showered praise on his compatriot.

Speaking to Marca, the Spaniard described Alcaraz's win as historic and heaped praise on the teenager. Looking back fondly at the 'Big 3' of tennis, Almagro stated that Alcaraz is a "mixture of all the great players." However, he believes the ability to stay calm at crucial junctures is of the highest quality in the newly crowned World No. 1.

"He is a mixture of all the great players. He has the desire, the mentality and the hunger of Rafa, he has things of Djokovic who fights you every ball and recovers totally unlikely balls and the talent that Federer has shown for a long time. But For me, what makes the difference is his calmness with which he is facing extreme situations"

Almagro described the teenager's maiden Grand Slam win as "stratospheric" and "impressive" and stated that the talented Murcian has begun writing his history "in golden letters."

"He is 19 years old and has the first US Open. Putting qualifications to what he has achieved is simple: we can say enormous, stratospheric, impressive... He has shown us all that he is on the right path, that he is working to be the most great in history. He has begun to write his history in golden letters," Almagro said.

"Juan Carlos is my second father" - Carlos Alcaraz on coach Juan Carlos Ferrero's influnce in his game

Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz after his win at the 2022 US Open - Day 14
Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz after his win at the 2022 US Open - Day 14

Carlos Alcaraz credited his mentor, compatriot and coach Juan Carlos Ferrero for playing a very pivotal role in his maiden Grand Slam win. Hailing him as a "second father," Alcaraz admitted that he would not be lifting the 2022 US Open trophy without Ferrero's help in recent times.

"Thanks to him I'm lifting this trophy today. If I [didn't have] Juan Carlos Ferrero in the box, Juan Carlos [as] my coach, it wouldn't be possible for me... Juan Carlos is my second father," Carlos Alcaraz said. "He could train a lot of top players but he decides to be with me."

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