By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Photo credit: Tim Clayton/Getty/USTA
John McEnroe presented Carlos Alcaraz with his maiden major trophy at the 2022 US Open.
This month, McEnroe bestowed another major title on Alcaraz.
In an interview with Spain’s La Revuelta McEnroe said Alcaraz is “the best thing to happen to tennis in 10 years.”
“I like Alcaraz. He grew his hair. He looks great,” McEnroe said. “He’s the best. Carlos is the best. He’s my favorite [player].
“I’m not saying this because I’m in Madrid. Carlos Alcaraz is the best thing to happen to tennis in 10 years. Unbelievable. So we’re lucky to have him. He’s my favorite player to watch right now. I’m happy he’s playing because it wasn’t good for tennis when he was out.”
Tracing Spanish Armada success, McEnroe pointed to former world No. 1 Carlos Moya, Rafael Nadal’s mentor and former coach, as a pivotal figure. McEnroe said King of Clay Nadal’s success was “unbelievable” and praised 20-year-old Rafael Jodar as a potential future champion.
“And now another one: Jodar,” McEnroe said. “Rafa Nadal changed everything. Carlos Moya won one. But Rafa Nadal came on and [was] unbelievable. I didn’t think this could happen.
“How the hell is this happening? We haven’t had a male in America win a Grand Slam in 23 years—Rafa himself won 22 [Grand Slam titles]. Now, Carlos has seven so it’s 29 to zero. Nada. But we’re getting closer. We’re getting closer.”
Carlos appears to be well adjusted, and a mature young man from a stable home. His parents attend every match. I’ve read that the first thing he did with his winnings is to buy them their dream home. I do not know if they travel with him, or if they see his “away” matches. My guess is that either Mom or Dad is at every game. He has two or three younger brothers who share his congenital talent. It will be exciting and fun to see if they follow in their older brother’s footsteps. Final thought: let’s hope that Carlos Alcaraz remains a person we’d like to know.
Who are we getting close with?