10 June 2024 , 06:59
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Carlos Alcaraz plans to get a tattoo of the Eiffel Tower to commemorate his maiden French Open victory.
The Spaniard recorded his third Grand Slam tournament win with victory over Alexander Zverev on Sunday at Roland Garros. The 21-year-old came out on top of a rollercoaster match and came from behind to taste success once again, 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2.
Alcaraz's latest achievement sees him become the first male player to win his first three slams on different surfaces, and the youngest player to capture a Grand Slam title on each surface, beating his hero Rafael Nadal's record. Only seven players have achieved the feat in all.
The tennis superstar has marked each of his major successes so far by getting inked. US Open and Wimbledon wins have seen Alcaraz permanently mark the dates on his arm and right ankle. His win in Paris will see a tattoo of greater significance.
“I have to find the time but I will do it for sure,” Alcaraz said. “It's going to be in the left ankle. You know, Wimbledon was the right one. Here is going to be the left one, I think so with the Tour Eiffel with the date of today. It's something that I'm gonna do it. I don't know if it will next week or it will ake a month or two months, but I will do it!“
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It's a tournament that goes to the core of Alcaraz. Clay courts are readily available in Spain and the nation has a rich history of providing champions for Roland Garros. While Nadal has dominated much of the last two decades of the tournament, Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa and Juan Carlos Ferrero have all tasted success since 1993.
It's perhaps little surprise that a photograph of Alcaraz taking in the tournament on a big screen by the Eiffel Tower has circulated. While an image of the fresh-faced youngster alongside coach Carlos Santos on Court Phillipe Chatrier too hints at the dreams Alcaraz had.
Winner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates during the podium ceremony at Roland-Garros Stadium (Jean Catuffe)"Winning a Grand Slam is always special, but here in Roland Garros, knowing all the Spanish players who have won here, to put my name on that list is unbelievable," Alcaraz said. "I dreamt to be in this position since I started playing tennis and I was five or six years old."
It was not a simple afternoon for Alcaraz however, as he navigated his way past Zverev. The contenders shared 97 unforced errors and 15 breaks of serve.
Despite needing medical treatment on his left leg, Alcaraz prevailed after four hours and 19 minutes to go diminish the disappointment of losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the tournament 12 months ago. The world No.3 admitted: “When I finished the third set, I had a lot of doubts, I’m not going to lie. Then in the fifth set, it was time to give everything I had.”