France Former world number one Mats Wilander believes the influence of Carlos Alcaraz will help tennis regain its appeal after the "Big 3" era.
According to Wilander, Alcaraz will have the same impact as Tiger Woods in golf. Thanks to his youthful energy and eye-catching playing style, Alcaraz is creating a new wave of fans, in the context of the "Big 3" monuments gradually leaving the game.
Alcaraz is playing Roland Garros for the first time as the number one seed. He reached the quarter-finals last year, losing to Alexander Zverev in four sets. Photo: ATP
Commenting on Eurosport , Wilander said: "Alcaraz can make the world happy with his performances on the court. He will bring more attention to tennis, bring more money to tennis players, especially men's players. The way Alcaraz entered tennis is somewhat like the way Tiger Woods entered golf."
Alcaraz is the top seed at Roland Garros. He won his first Grand Slam at the US Open last year, and has 10 ATP titles under his belt before the age of 20.
Alcaraz advanced to the third round of Roland Garros after beating Taro Daniel on May 31. The 20-year-old's next opponent is 26th seed Denis Shapovalov. Wilander believes Shapovalov can cause Alcaraz problems with his serve and risk-taking style.
"Shapovalov is an unpredictable player. No one knows how he will play," Wilander said. "I always feel like Shapovalov has not reached his full potential. On a good day, he can be the scariest version of himself. Shapovalov can win a Grand Slam before the end of his career."
The Canadian struggled into the third round, losing nine sets in his first two matches. The winner of that pair will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Cameron Norrie in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, the biggest opponent this bracket could face is fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will face Diego Schwartzman in the third round.
Also in action today is third seed Novak Djokovic. The Serbian has been playing consistently well, winning all six sets he has played. Nole may not have such an easy win when he plays 29th seed Davidovich Fokina.
Notable men's singles matches on June 2:
4pm: Andrey Rublev – Lorenzo Sonego
7:30 p.m.: Cameron Norrie – Lorenzo Musetti
9pm: Novak Djokovic – Davidovich Fokina
9pm: Stefanos Tsitsipas – Diego Schwartzman
1:15 a.m. June 3: Carlos Alcaraz – Denis Shapovalov
Vy Anh
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