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

Carlos Alcaraz has proved that he is going to be one of the main forces in men's tennis in the future. At the age of 21, he has already won four Grand Slam titles and five Masters 1000 titles. While the Spaniard deserves all the plaudits, former Romanian star Ion Tiriac feels the hype around him is a little too much.

It was in 2022, that Alcaraz got superstar fame when he defeated Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open to win his maiden Grand Slam title. His next major success came in last year’s Wimbledon, where he defeated legendary Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.

With his SW19 triumph, Alcaraz established a name for himself, but what followed was a bit of a rough patch. However, he managed to find his rhythm at the 2024 French Open, winning his third major title. His next task was to defend his Wimbledon title, which he successfully accomplished, denying Djokovic the opportunity to set a world record.

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He continued his brilliant form at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. It was a dream debut for him as he became the youngest tennis player to win silver in the marquee event. It is also noteworthy that he reached the quarter-finals alongside Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles.

We have to be much more patient: Tiriac's message to Alcaraz's fans

Meanwhile, despite Alcaraz’s incredible talent and achievements, Tiriac, former president of the Romanian Tennis Federation, feels that the tennis fraternity makes “a bit too much of him”, mainly due to the lure of “economic benefits”. He added that the Spaniard should be left alone to ensure that he continues to improve.

"He's (Alcaraz) a talented player, he's sensational, he has incredible leg speed and power, but I think we're making a bit too much of him, that we already want to reap the economic benefits when we're only at the beginning of his career," Tiriac said.

"We have to be much more patient, leave him alone because the dollar we earn today is nothing compared to what we can 'earn' in a few years," he added.

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