‘He’s already a legend’ - Gael Monfils puts Carlos Alcaraz on same list as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic amid Cincinnati Open

Gael Monfils registered a comprehensive two-set victory over Alexei Popyrin in the Round of 64 at the Cincinnati Open this Tuesday. The 37-year-old's second-round clash was against young sensation Carlos Alcaraz. The match had to be halted on Thursday night due to persistent rain.

Alcaraz is currently leading the game, winning the first set 6-4. However, Monfils put up more fight in the second set to go 3/1 in the tie-break when players were forced to go off the court. The match resumes on Friday, with the winner having to compete in one more bout against 15th seed Holger Rune.

Meanwhile, ahead of their match Monfils heaped massive praise on the Spaniard, who recently won a silver medal in the men’s singles at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Frenchman said he already sees Alcaraz as a legend, putting the 21-year-old on the same list as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“He’s a complete athlete, in terms of speed, endurance, power. And then his tennis, of course, is quite complete, too. Backhand, forehand, it's quite hard to see where you can hit. He improved a lot on the return, he’s serving big. He’s just a really complete player,” Monfils said.

“At the moment, I see him (the same) as Novak, as Rafa, as Roger, for me. He’s just a bit younger, but he’s already a legend,” he added.

Also Read: ‘We're making a bit too much of him’ – Romanian tennis legend on unprecedented hype around Carlos Alcaraz

Can Alcaraz win three Grand Slam titles this year?

Alcaraz has had a dream run for the last two years. He announced his arrival by defeating Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open to win his maiden Grand Slam title. He defeated legendary Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller in the 2023 Wimbledon championship to clinch his second major title.

Earlier this year, he won his maiden French Open and went on to defend his SW19 title by getting the better of Djokovic once again. Although he lost to the Serbian in the final at the Paris Olympics, he became the youngest player in history to win silver in the marquee event.

With the US Open looming, the Spaniard is eager to finish the Cincinnati campaign on a high note. Winning another Grand Slam next month would be huge for the young lad.

Also Read: ‘That might be dangerous for the rest’ - Tim Henman rings warning bell for Carlos Alcaraz and others with huge Novak Djokovic claim