How many 21-year-old tennis players can claim an elusive career Grand Slam? Carlos Alcaraz can do that next month if he wins the Australian Open, with what would be his fifth Grand Slam title. The Spaniard is in this position because of a successful 2024 season, and despite some injuries and patches of inconsistency, he won two Grand Slam titles this year. LWOT takes a look back at Alcaraz’s 2024 campaign.
Carlos Alcaraz – 2024 Season Review
Early Struggles
Alcaraz entered the 2024 Australian Open as one of the favorites to win the event, and he played multiple solid matches to reach the second week. He was upset in the quarterfinals by Alexander Zverev, losing in four sets. Alcaraz then chose to take on the South American clay court swing, but frustrating injuries began to mount.
At the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, he lost to Nicolas Jarry in the semifinals. He then had to retire early in his first-round match in Rio due to an ankle injury.
Alcaraz successfully defended his title at the BNP Paribas Open. Coming into the tournament with lingering injury doubts, he beat rival Jannik Sinner in a thrilling 1-6 6-3 6-2 semifinal win. That win set up a rematch from the previous year’s final, as he defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (5) 6-1 to win his 13th ATP title. Alcaraz then lost in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open to Grigor Dimitrov.
Initial clay concerns, and a Roland Garros crown
Injuries returned during the early portion of the clay court season. Alcaraz had to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open–Alcaraz was notably the defending champion at the latter event. He made his return at the Madrid Open, his home ATP 1000 event, and lost in the quarterfinals to Andrey Rublev. Alcaraz then again had to pull out of a tournament, this time at the Italian Open.
Many pundits thought Alcaraz’s injuries would result in an early French Open exit. But the Spaniard played flawless tennis to reach the semifinals, only dropping one set along the way. His dominant quarterfinal win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, reminiscent of a similar blowout at the 2023 French Open, raised the bar for the Spaniard.
Alcaraz started slowly against Sinner in the semifinals, only picking up his game late in the second set. He eventually won 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3. In the final, Alcaraz faced off against rival Zverev, winning in five sets. The match, which lasted over four hours, marked Alcaraz’s third Grand Slam title.
Wimbledon champion, and Olympics heartbreak
After an early loss in a warm-up grass court event, Alcaraz found himself on the brink during his third-round match at Wimbledon. After a thrilling five-set escape in that round against Frances Tiafoe, the Spaniard battled past Ugo Humbert, Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev in close four-set encounters.
In the final, Alcaraz faced a Wimbledon rematch against Novak Djokovic. This match could not be more different than their 2023 thrilling final—Alcaraz won 6-2 6-2 7-6(4) to defend his title.
No part of the season was tougher for Alcaraz than one month later. At the Olympic Games, Alcaraz guaranteed himself a medal after five impressive performances, the semifinal win being a 6-1 6-1 sweep over Felix Auger-Aliassime. But the Spaniard lost in arguably the best match of 2024, a 7-6(3) 7-6(2) loss to Djokovic that guaranteed the Serb’s elusive trophy.
The wear and tear of that event was evident in the weeks that followed. Alcaraz lost early at the Cincinnati Open, and was shocked in the second round of the US Open to Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-1 7-5 6-4.
End of season
Alcaraz then led Team Europe to a Laver Cup victory, snapping a two-year losing streak to Team World. He then put on one of his best performances of the season in Beijing, at the ATP 500 China Open. Alcaraz’s aggressive style of play allowed him to take down Medvedev and Sinner en route to the title. His win against Sinner came down to a thrilling third-set tiebreak.
Yet, Alcaraz’s form hit a disappointing lull after Beijing. The Spaniard lost early in Shanghai and Paris. At the ATP Finals, as the third seed, he could not make it out of the Round Robin stage after a 7-6 (5) 6-4 loss to Zverev.
What’s next?
It may be somewhat of a surprise that Alcaraz finished No. 3 in the ATP Rankings this year, and as of December, he sits 1,000 points behind No. 2 Zverev. He’s also almost 5,000 points behind Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz will have to stay healthy and conserve his fitness, allowing himself to put together consistent tournaments in ATP 500 and 1000 events.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
