Alcaraz, a one in a lifetime talent, will be the next big name in sport

It is 7.30PM.

Most people are turning on the TV, eating dinner.  Flicking the channels between reality TV, breaking news and sport. Some are watching videos on their mobile phones,

There’s a kid from Spain most people don’t know about.

His name is Carlos Alcaraz, and he is absolutely obliterating records.

The 3rd Youngest player in history to enter the top 10.

The first 18 year old to win a big title (Miami) since Nadal.

The list keeps rolling on. He won Barcelona little more than a week ago.

The second player in 30 years to reach the semi finals of Indian Wells at 18.

Before that, Alcaraz  won 500 ATP points, and the title, at the Rio Open

His 3 titles to start the season are the most of any player so far this season.

The records won’t stop tumbling, and the wins won’t stop coming. Touch wood.

It was little more than a year ago, that he was beaten savagely, 2-6 6-4 6-4 7-6, in the first round of the Australian Open.

By who?

By world number 75, Mikael  Ymer.

Then again in October, he was beaten  in three sets at Indian Wells by a 34 year old Andy Murray, playing with a metal hip.

The hits didn’t stop coming. Losing again to Mikael Ymer, in Winston Salem.

The Alcaraz of 2022 is night and day to last season’s version. He had match points against Matteo Berretini. Had he won that, who knows where he would have finished. It would be hard to suggest that he wouldn’t at least made the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Waiting in the wings would have been Nadal. It would have been an all-time classic. Future all time great vs all time great.

However, that matchup will have to wait.

It starts today, coincidentally, at yet another tournament. The Madrid Open. It will be 2nd matchup between the two this year after the quarter final stage of a tournament .

What a match that will be.