Becker issues Alcaraz warning: “He looks amazing. But there’s a lot more to it than playing tennis”

Boris Becker has issued a warning to those who say Carlos Alcaraz will go on to outstrip the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the top of the men’s game.

For every era, there is another one. Always the next big shot nipping at your heels. For Pete Sampras it was Federer. For Boris Becker it was Pete Sampras. 

The former world No 1 says the young Spaniard has everything it takes to be at the top of men’s tennis for many years to come but warns that nothing is guaranteed.

“First of all, it’s a very difficult mantle to take over,” Becker said at CloudFest 2023, one of his first media appearances since his release from a prison sentence for charges related to bankruptcy. “Federer, Nadal and Djokovic weren’t only tennis heroes, they are sporting heroes. They are cultural icons.”  

“You talk about the young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz as the next hot thing. He’s amazing, he plays great, he looks good and has the full package as a tennis superstar. But there’s a lot more to it than playing tennis. You have to come back, you have to defend your titles, you become a representative of your country and you’re getting into boxes you didn’t think existed before.”

“We have to be careful. Nobody is perfect and we have to watch that these tennis players are people. And people make mistakes.”

The World vs. Boris Becker will be available to stream on Apple TV from April 7. 

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