Mats Wilander believes there is a ‘good chance’ Carlos Alcaraz will match Roger Federer’s Grand Slam tally after his victory at the US Open.
Alcaraz won his second US Open title and sixth Grand Slam overall with an impressive victory over Jannik Sinner in the final at Flushing Meadows.
The 22-year-old suffered a disappointing defeat to Sinner in the Wimbledon final earlier in the summer but turned the tables superbly with a dominant win in New York.
Alcaraz dropped just one set on his way to reclaiming the US Open title he first won in 2022 and replacing Sinner as the No. 1 player in the world.
The Spaniard has now won the US Open, French Open and Wimbledon twice, with the Australian Open the only major yet to be lifted by Alcaraz.
Only ten men have won more Grand Slam titles in the Open Era than Alcaraz, with Novak Djokovic leading the way with a staggering 24 major wins.
Rafael Nadal is second with 22 while Federer sits third in the all-time list on 20, a number Alcaraz is more than capable of matching, according to Wilander.
‘I think he’ll win so much more,’ the second-time Grand Slam champion said after Alcaraz’s emphatic win in New York.
‘The question is, will he win as much as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Will he win 20 Slams? There is a good chance he will.’
Sinner threatened to mount a comeback in the US Open final and levelled the match after losing the opening set 6-2.
Most men’s Grand Slam titles (Open Era)
Novak Djokovic – 24
Rafael Nadal – 22
Roger Federer – 20
Pete Sampras – 14
Bjorn Borg – 11
Jimmy Connors – 8
Ivan Lendl – 8
Andre Agassi – 8
John McEnroe – 7
Mats Wilander – 7
Stefan Edberg – 6
Boris Becker – 6
Carlos Alcaraz – 6
But Alcaraz responded by dropping just one game in the third set before breaking again on his way to a four-set win.
‘He was so focused, he didn’t make many unforced errors,’ Wilander added. ‘If he can serve like he did today, I don’t think there is any weakness whatsoever.
‘He was as sharp as he’s been all tournament and he was too good. He’s still so young – that’s what scary. He’s got six majors, back to world No. 1 which is huge for him.
‘I thought Jannik Sinner was going to come out on top but Carlos Alcaraz – wow – when he plays well he really is the best player in the world.
‘It’s a huge victory. Day in and day out, you play for the world No. 1 ranking. He’s got it back – and it’s not easy to get it back.
‘He’s good everywhere. He’s so solid, so nice, the niceness is the best part. He’s a great player but he’s so nice, so humble, so youthful and having fun all the time. He’s a great ambassador for our sport.’
Alcaraz and Sinner have now met in three consecutive Grand Slam finals and Wilander expects their dominance on the tour to continue for a ‘very long time to come’.
‘They both know they have the tennis world by the hands and they’re controlling it,’ the Swedish tennis icon said.
‘They’re going to split the Grand Slams every year for a very long time to come.’
While the next Grand Slam is not until the start of 2026, both Alcaraz and Sinner will feature in the season-ending ATP Finals in November.
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