Roger Federer will be ‘in awe’ of Carlos Alcaraz after his sensational Madrid Open triumph, according to Annabel Croft. On Sunday, Alcaraz scooped his fourth title of 2022 and the second Masters 1000 crown of his career after his Miami Open victory last month.
The 19-year-old Spaniard followed up his stunning wins against Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic by beating second seed Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-1 in his homeland. He enjoyed one of the most magical underdog runs to a title in recent tennis history and is undoubtedly one of the sport’s biggest rising stars.
His performances in Madrid have drawn comparisons with Federer, who would never bow down to pressure in the early years of his phenomenal career. And Croft believes the Swiss icon would’ve been impressed with Alcaraz’s attitude and confidence against the game’s biggest names.
She told Amazon Prime: “He [Alcaraz] doesn’t give you the impression he is going to shy away from pressure like we always said about Federer. Federer is somebody who would walk towards the fire and tackle pressure head-on, enjoy it, embrace it and like to put the young ones in their place. I’m sure Federer is sitting at home watching him absolutely in awe.”
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After his memorable triumph in Madrid, Alcaraz expressed his delight with managing to beat three players of Federer’s ilk en route to victory. After watching the tournament as a child, he described his exploits in the Madrid Open as the ‘best week of his life’.
“Watching Rafa [Nadal] lifting this trophy [for] so many years made me a lot of power to work hard for this moment,” Alcaraz explained. “I mean, it’s a great moment for me. This tournament is the first tournament that I have watched since [I was] a kid, so lifting this trophy today is so emotional.”
READ MORE: Alcaraz wins Madrid Open title with bruising victory over Zverev
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