Even if you don't have the slightest clue about the game of tennis and never watched a single match in your life, there is a good chance that you have heard the names of guys like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Those three have been the face of the game for years now, and just about any sports fan knows their name. Now with Federer calling it quits and hanging up his net, Nadal being half the player he once was in his younger years, and Djokovic getting up there in age, the younger generation is poised to take the reigns as we enter a new era of tennis.
The name that everyone should be getting to know is that of Carlos Alcaraz, the young 21-year-old phenom who just won his first French Open. He also became the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces after defeating Alexander Zverev in five sets. Nadal accomplished the feat at the age of 22 at the 2009 Australian Open. Alcaraz now will add that trophy next to his victories at the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon Championships. He's just the seventh player ever to win a slam event on all three surfaces.
Alcaraz's next challenge will be adding another Wimbledon trophy to his case. He won the event just last season and opens up as the favorite to win it once again in 2024. Glancing over at DraftKings right now, he's at +140 to take home the trophy. Coming off the win at the French Open, there was little doubt that he would be the overall favorite in the next major tournament in Tennis.
He's started to form a rivalry with another up-and-coming player in the sport, Jannik Sinner, who is sitting right behind him on the Wimbledon odds board at +175. Despite all of Alcaraz's recent success, it is Sinner who is the world-ranked No. 1 men's singles player. The Italian has won 13 singles titles on the ATP Tour, including a Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open and two Masters 1000 titles. He's the first Italian to ever be ranked No. 1 in the world and is just 22 years old.
These two are going to have many battles for years to come.
Taking a look at the latest odds right now over at DraftKings, Alcaraz is also the favorite to win the US Open, which begins on August 25. Right now, he's +175 to take home the tournament trophy. He managed to win the French Open despite recovering from an injury heading into it, and now he is at the top of his game and will be fully rested and ready for this next opportunity. We know how good he has been playing on the hard courts of the US Open, having won it in 2022. However, it is not going to be an easy walk in the park for him. According to the odds, he has two guys that are breathing down his neck right now that are a huge threat to him.
The legend Djokovic is right behind Alcaraz on the odds board at +220, and he is always in the running to win. The Serbian has been ranked No. 1 for a record total of 428 weeks in a record 13 different years and finished as the year-end No. 1 a record eight times in his career. He has won a record 24 Grand Slam men's singles titles. Notice how many times I had to say the word "record" there when describing him. At the age of 37, his best years are likely behind him now, but he still can play with the best of them.
What we are seeing from Alcaraz right now is special and it seems as though the three-headed monster is going to pass the torch to a new generation led by the young Spanish star.