Carlos Alcaraz's conviction at Roland Garros

BarcelonaWhen you enter the Roland Garros grounds in western Paris, you're greeted by a giant, three-meter-high sculpture made of 800 kg of steel depicting Rafa Nadal returning a ball. The legend of the player from Manacor, a 14-stroke winner of the legendary Grand Slam on clay, seems to go on forever. If in the early years the Parisians, always proud, looked askance at the young Mallorcan who played sleeveless, over time they surrendered to his game and decided to take care of it. They dedicated this statue to him, the work of the Valladolid-based sculptor Jordi Díez, son of a Catalan father, and made him the main attraction of their tournament.

This Roland Garros is the first without Christmas, although on Sunday, the day of the opening session, the now-retired great champion was invited with his entire family and received a tribute accompanied by his greatest rivals, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. And of his two grandmothers, who were also cheered, since at over 90 years old they don't usually leave Manacor. But the occasion was worth it: a plaque was unveiled on the center court with the name and imprint of Navidad. An eternal imprint. The shadow of Christmas, when it comes to tennis, is as large as that of the Eiffel Tower.

The tournament arrives with the question of whether Novak Djokovic, at 38, will still have the energy to win a 25th Grand Slam. It also remains to be seen whether Italian Jannik Sinner will raise his level after a few months out of competition due to a doping ban. For now, he clearly fell in the Rome final to the big favorite, Carlos Alcaraz, condemned to play in the shadow of Navidad. The relationship between the two has always been good, as was evident on the Paris facilities during the Games, when they teamed up in the doubles. But since the style is similar and Alcaraz is the new standard of Spanish tennis, comparisons can't be avoided. Nadal is surprising those closest to him with his retired lifestyle: he lives in Manacor, spends time with his children, goes fishing, and plays golf. He wants to go further with tennis, which could help Alcaraz.

The 22-year-old from Murcia has already won four Grand Slam tournaments and, in fact, reached number 1 in 2022 at just 19. In the first round, he easily beat Giulio Zeppieri in three sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-2), and is trying to dispel any concerns that it could be like Christmas. It all started with a documentary aired this year in which Alcaraz admitted that he had let loose for a few days in Ibiza. "I won't lie to you, Ibiza is about partying and going out. I went all out. I don't know if it's right to say it like that, but that's how it was. Then I won at Queen's and Wimbledon. I'm not saying I won because I went out partying, but those days went well for me," the player explained.

"I don't think Alcaraz will win Grand Slams by going to sleep at seven in the morning."

Alcaraz recently explained that after losing in Miami in the first round, he went to Cancún with his family: "I let my feelings guide me. Obviously, I thought, especially after the last month, 'What's going on?'" referring to a bad run partly caused by pressure, since everyone was telling him that. "Everything was killing me," Alcaraz said.

Former player Carles Moyà said of Alcaraz that "wanting to be the best in history in this way... I see it as difficult, I already see it as difficult having a normal life. It's very complicated. Of course, based on his level, he can become it. In the way he says? But maybe one pin like that, no one has achieved it. What Nadal has achieved if there is no discipline and without work. Alcaraz is 21 years old, he has the right to live like no one. Is it sustainable in the long term? A few days earlier, Roberto Bautista expressed himself in similar terms: "Top-level tennis demands a lot. I don't think Alcaraz will win Grand Slams by going to bed at 7 a.m. It's all very nice now and he's very young, but if he wants to match the numbers of the three stars: Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic, time will tell if Alcaraz will ever get the Christmas recognition.