Game, Set, Bet, presented by BetMGM: Will Carlos Alcaraz win a Grand Slam title in 2023?
Alcaraz took home the "fifth major" at Indian Wells, but will he win one of the real ones this year?
Last September, Carlos Alcaraz officially arrived when he defeated Casper Ruud in the US Open final. That was Alcaraz’s first Grand Slam title, and many believe it will be just one of many. This year, Alcaraz already has two ATP titles under his belt, with one of those coming at Indian Wells. But will the “fifth major” be the biggest event the 19-year-old wins this year? We’re going to say no—and we’re putting our money where our mouths are by taking BetMGM’s “player special” on Alcaraz to win at least one Grand Slam at -200 odds.
The reality with Alcaraz is that the 19-year-old is right there with Novak Djokovic when talking about the best player in the world. Sure, people can pick Alcaraz apart after a loss like the one he suffered to Jannik Sinner at the Miami Open, but that's only because Alcaraz has already set such a high bar for himself. Alcaraz is 20-3 since the start of the 2023 season, and his statistics have pretty much improved across the board. He just keeps getting better and better, and the only thing standing in his way of more tennis riches is his health.
Alcaraz has already taken a few weeks off to nurse some injuries this season, and his style of play definitely has something to do with that. Alcaraz goes all out every second he’s on the court, and puts a lot of wear and tear on his body. But every time the 19-year-old goes away to try and get himself right, he ends up coming back and looking fresher than ever. In his first match in Barcelona this week, the Spaniard didn't skip a beat.
With Alcaraz healthy right now, it’d just be foolish not to lay these odds on him to win a Grand Slam. He's currently the betting favorite to win the French Open—he cash this play immediately. After all, Rafael Nadal doesn’t look like he’ll be healthy anytime soon, and Djokovic hasn’t looked like himself early in the clay-court season. Alcaraz will also feel like he has a great shot at winning both Wimbledon and the US Open this year, as he isn’t just a one-surface player. His game translates to all three of those Slams and that makes this bet even more enticing.
It's also worth mentioning that Alcaraz is one of the most physically fit players on the planet. That matters against guys that normally struggle towards the end of best-of-five-set matches, and it’s especially important when you look at the Sinner matchup. The Italian is one of the few players with the weapons to give Alcaraz trouble, which is why he has fared well in their head-to-head series in the past. But if they meet in a best-of-five situation, Alcaraz’s fitness would give him a huge edge. We saw a bit of that at last year’s US Open, when Alcaraz outlasted his new rival.
Overall, it’s hard to lay off a play like this, as Alcaraz is just levels above most players at this point in his career. And considering he’s as driven as anybody on tour, you can rest easy knowing that he’ll give it everything he has to win more majors. Alcaraz realizes he has the potential to be an all-time great, and he knows he has what it takes to win some more majors even before Nadal and Djokovic ride off into the sunset.