Alexander Zverev swept Carlos Alcaraz in Acapulco then praised the 17-year-old Spanish sensation as a future Top 10 force.
In the aftermath of his 6-3, 6-1 win over Alcaraz at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open, Zverev said the weight of Alcaraz's shots and his movement around the court are two major assets that will help propel him to the Top 10 "by 2024."
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"I have played against many players younger than me and [his] ball is very heavy, it is very different from the others I have played and they are also good," Zverev said. "He moves very well and can hit the ball very hard. I think he's got a bright future ahead of him, and I think he's going to move fast in the rankings."
Last spring, Alcaraz surprised compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas in his ATP Tour debut at the 2020 Rio de Janeiro as 16-year-old wild card, becoming the first man born in 2003 to win aTour-level match and the ATP's youngest match winner since Cristian Garin, 16, at 2013 Vina del Mar.
Alcaraz, who finished 2020 as the youngest man ranked inside the ATP Top 600, is currently ranked No. 132 after upsetting 14th-ranked David Goffin at the Melbourne tune-up tournament for the Australian Open. Alcaraz qualified for the AO and reached the second round.
Five years ago, Rafael Nadal saved a match point fighting off a teenage Zverev at Indian Wells and pronounced the young German a future Top 10 player and Grand Slam contender. Nadal's prediction proved correct. Now, US Open finalist Zverev envisions Alcaraz maturing into a Top 10 player within the next couple of years.
"He's a young player who started playing extremely well and didn't lose a lot of balls," Zverev said. "Then I felt more comfortable in the game. I say I just changed continents, it's the first match and I think it's not always easy to play a first-round match like this against a player so young that he comes motivated, with energy and wants to compete. I'm happy with how the match turned out."
Photo credit: Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open Facebook