TECH Talk: If the Big 3 had a baby, his name would be Carlos Alcaraz

WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz defeats Holger Rune for a spot in the 2023 Wimbledon semifinals.

How does he do it?

It’s one thing to be the next-big-thing on Centre Court, and it’s another thing entirely to be 20 years old and already have it all figured out. At least, that’s the image world No. 1 and reigning US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz projects to tennis fans every time he plays: This kid’s got it all figured out.

“Alcaraz is just too good,” said Tennis Channel's very own analyst, Jim Courier.

As the Big 3 era of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer dissipates into history, Alcaraz is next in line to fill the void in this tennis-fan-heart-break saga.

Let’s look at how Alcaraz combines elements from each of the Big 3, making the 20-year-old a great in the making:

Rafael Nadal

Coming from Spain, Alcaraz is most naturally associated with Nadal’s tenacity and fighting spirit. Not to mention, his confidence on the clay mirrors his 82% success rate on the surface, where he's won seven of his 11 career titles.

More specifically, this tenacity is the backbone to Alcaraz’s court coverage and movement during points. No matter the situation of the point, whether he’s on offense, working to get to offense or trying to stay in the point, his body moves with high intensity so that his mind can focus on the best real-time strategy.

While the crowd can feel Alcaraz’s intensity, he differs from Nadal where he doesn’t show it.

In fact, his gracefulness on court comes from his other Big 3 father...

Roger Federer

The words associated with Federer belong in an elite level of society: Poise. Class. Elegance. Take it from Alcaraz himself:

“Rafa is someone I’ve always watched,” he told Vogue in February. “I admire him a lot. But Federer, the class he had, the way he got people to see tennis: That was beautiful.

“Watching Federer is like looking at a work of art. It’s elegance, he did everything magnificently. I became enchanted by him.”

To state the obvious, Alcaraz is still growing up. But there is no denying that his presence on court reads “I belong” more than it reads “I’m growing”. Alcaraz’s tenacious tendencies are meticulously balanced by his gracious attitude on court. You can tell that he’s enjoying every forehand he gets to hit on the biggest stages against the biggest players.

Speaking of forehands, which is absolutely Alcaraz's greatest asset in terms of controlling the point, the extension of his arm as he swings through the contact is reminiscent of Federer. Technically speaking, this would be the game-defining similarity between the two players.

Now with a fierce playing style and a gracious attitude comes the glue that puts all of the pieces together:

Novak Djokovic

Father No. 3, but certainly not in ranking, is the glue behind Alcaraz’s whole operation.

There’s no denying that playing against Djokovic is like playing a wall. Everything comes back to bite you where it hurts. Even Top 20 competitors who are next in line to face Djokovic can only get so far (on average, it’s about a set and a half during best-of-five matches).

Reason being, Djokovic is an all-around player. He has it all figured out, too. The serve, the return, the backhand angle as the opponent charges the net. Everything is not only figured out, it’s a pay grade above everyone else.

Enter Alcaraz.

Listen to every commentator, every reporter’s story, they all say the same thing. Alcaraz is an all-around player. Wonder where he gets it from?

"He's very solid mentally. Game wise, he's a very complete player... I think it's great for our sport that we have another big star," Djokovic said of Alcaraz last year.

Now Alcaraz is into the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time. Does he have what it takes to lift his second Grand Slam trophy?

All we know for sure is that his fighting spirit—and the legacy of the Big 3—will be as brilliantly executed as always.