Carlos Alcaraz is on track to be the best player men’s tennis has ever seen.
At just 21 years old, the Spaniard has reached major finals on all three surfaces — becoming the youngest to do so in history.
Alcaraz narrowly defeated the new world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Friday in five sets to book his spot in Sunday’s French Open final. He will face Germany's No. 4 Alexander Zverev.
It’s not just the incredible tennis or shattering of records that has fans worldwide excited for Alcaraz, but it’s the way he fights so hard in every match.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Many of the characteristics that Alcaraz exhibits are reminiscent of the qualities fans have admired in Rafael Nadal for decades.
But while the two have so much in common, Alcaraz has Nadal beaten in the record books when it comes to being the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam championship on all three surfaces.
Here's where Alcaraz ranks amongst the sport's greatest:
- Carlos Alcaraz: 21 years, 1 month
- Andre Agassi: 22 years, 1 month
- Bjorn Borg: 22 years, 2 months
- Rafael Nadal: 22 years, 6 months
- Jim Courier: 22 years, 10 months
- Mats Wilander: 23 years, 9 days
When did Carlos Alcaraz make the final of other Grand Slams?
Clay isn't the only surface Alcaraz has succeeded on. He has posted some remarkable wins on the grass and hard courts, as well.
In fact, the first Grand Slam final Alcaraz played in and won was at the 2022 U.S. Open. At just 19 years old, the Spaniard defeated Casper Ruud on the hard courts of New York to claim the title.
Less than a year later, Alcaraz took the grass courts of London by storm to make the final of Wimbledon. At age 20, he took down Novak Djokovic in five remarkable sets to take home his first Wimbledon crown.
Now, at the 2024 French Open, Alcaraz is in the final at age 21.
The only Grand Slam Alcaraz has yet to make the end of is the Australian Open. His best result to date is the quarterfinals, which he reached earlier this year.
When does Carlos Alcaraz play in the French Open final?
Carlos Alcaraz is set to take on No. 4 Alexander Zverev in the French Open final on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.
The French Open final airs live on NBC and Peacock from Roland Garros in Paris at 9 a.m. ET. The match will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
