Wilander: RG could end up Alcaraz’s best Slam

While his first Grand Slam trophy came at New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2022 and he has twice taken the title at the All England Club, three-time Roland-Garros champion Mats Wilander said Paris could still end up being the site of his most prolific major successes.

“It could very well be his most dominant Slam, yes, because I think he likes when he has a little bit more time,” Wilander told rolandgarros.com. “The fact he has won Wimbledon twice is pretty amzing, US Open is kind of perfect because it's not as fast, and Australia is a nightmare because it's too quick for him.

“I think Indian Wells is perfect for him, Miami is not, even though he won in Miami once. I think this is perfect for him.”

On his route to the trophy last year, Alcaraz was twice taken the distance – against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals and against Alexander Zverev in the title match.

Despite carving out a two-sets-to-one advantage in the final, Alcaraz over five sets on clay is an almighty task. It was a lead the German ultimately could not sustain.

“We're both physically strong, but he's a beast,” Zverev said following the defeat. “He's an animal, for sure. The intensity he plays tennis at is different to other people. You know, he can do so many different things, right?

“I think he changed his tactic a lot in the fifth set, started to play a lot higher, a lot deeper for me to not create as much power. Especially with the shadows on the court, it was slower again. But he's a fantastic player, and physically he's fantastic.”

A champion at Roland-Garros in 1989, Michael Chang said that while it is unlikely Alcaraz realistically has his sights set on surpassing Rafael Nadal’s seemingly insurmountable 14 titles in Paris, that does not mean the Big Three’s respective hauls are not on his radar.

“I think that's an interesting question because dominant to the point of passing Nadal, I don't know,” he laughed. “I think the interesting thing is that he grew up in a generation of watching this generation play.

“In his mind he's thinking these guys are winning 20-plus Grand Slams. He's taken the best of Federer, the best of Novak, the best of Rafa. I don't think he necessarily thinks it's abnormal (to win that many) so I think that will help him confidence-wise.”

Lorenzo Musetti and either world No.1 Jannik Sinner or 24-time major champion Djokovic – his Olympic Games conqueror – stand between Alcaraz and a second Paris crown on Sunday.

Largely owing to his idol Nadal’s extended reign, he remains in the hunt to become just the third player this century after his compatriot and Gustavo Kuerten to defend the title.

The 22-year-old had ample time to build his legacy on clay and former world No.1 Wilander liked what he had already seen.

“I think he showed last year in Paris in the last two matches that you can play an even match with him, but to beat him he's going to play his best tennis when he needs to and he's already done it this year,” he said.

“I think he can build the same as Sinner can build in Australia, the same dominance, I believe.”