Alcaraz currently has 6 Grand Slam titles among his 23 championships—a collection not many past stars achieved even by the end of their careers. Former world number one, Mats Wilander, admits Alcaraz has surpassed him, despite having one fewer Grand Slam title.
"Honestly, I had 4 Grand Slams at 22, but compared to Alcaraz, it's not even close. My whole career, I only had 7 championships, and Alcaraz will definitely surpass me," Wilander said after witnessing Alcaraz defeat Jannik Sinner in the US Open final on 7/9.
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Alcaraz celebrates his victory at the 2025 US Open final, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, USA on 7/9. Photo: Reuters |
Alcaraz celebrates his victory at the 2025 US Open final, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, USA on 7/9. Photo: Reuters
Not just Wilander, Alcaraz also has the potential to surpass a series of legendary names like Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl—players who each have 8 Grand Slam titles. Another American legend, John McEnroe, holds 7 of these titles. With his current 6 Grand Slams, Alcaraz has joined the ranks of legends like Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Don Budge.
At 22, Alcaraz's accomplishments trail only those of Bjorn Borg, the legend hailed as the greatest young player of all time. If he wins the Australian Open next year, Alcaraz will equal Borg with 7 Grand Slams before turning 23, and become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam. Borg, until his retirement, was never able to win the Australian Open or the US Open.
Alcaraz is the third player in the Open Era to win more than one US Open title before 23. The other two are both American legends: John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. Alcaraz's achievements are impressive, with his 6 Grand Slams evenly split between three events in Paris, London, and New York—something no one else has accomplished at 22. In the Open Era, only 6 other players have reached this milestone in their entire careers, including the "Big 3" along with Sampras, Lendl, and Edberg.
Alcaraz's major titles are even more significant given that he twice defeated the world number one player, Sinner. In the past, only Nadal achieved something similar when he defeated Roger Federer at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2008.
Vy Anh
