Serena Williams Remains a Tennis Fanatic, Cheering for Rising Star Carlos Alcaraz
Over three years have passed since tennis legend Serena Williams officially retired from professional play at the US Open. However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion continues to stay actively engaged with the sport, and she’s particularly enthusiastic about one young ATP player—Carlos Alcaraz. In fact, Williams has taken to "calling" him during his matches to offer her support.
Since her retirement, Williams’ remarkable Open Era record of 23 Grand Slam titles has been surpassed by Novak Djokovic, who now holds 24 titles. Interestingly, Williams believes that Djokovic could eventually be challenged by one of the newer stars in the game, specifically Alcaraz.
While Williams has always admired Rafael Nadal—who concluded his illustrious career last year—she has now become an ardent supporter of Alcaraz, the dynamic 22-year-old from Spain. “I have always followed Spanish players closely,” Williams noted during the Princess of Asturias Awards. “There’s Rafa, of course, but many other exceptional talents have emerged.”
She continued her praise for Alcaraz, stating, “He is doing incredible things on the court, and I’m a huge fan. I always call him when he plays to cheer him on.”
At just 22 years old, Alcaraz has already clinched six Grand Slam titles. Williams remains optimistic about his future, hinting that he could potentially surpass Djokovic’s impressive record. “At this point, anything is possible,” she explained. “When [Roger] Federer started, no one predicted he would surpass [Pete] Sampras, but he did. Rafa followed suit, and then Djokovic. Carlos is young and has formidable rivals, but breaking records is certainly within reach.”
Alcaraz has a significant opportunity ahead of him at the upcoming Australian Open in January, where he could secure the only Major title missing from his collection—the career Grand Slam.
As he prepares for the next challenge at the Paris Masters, which has relocated to the La Defense Arena, Alcaraz is already in the city for practice. The world No. 1 has been out of competitive play since his victory at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. After withdrawing from the Shanghai Masters, he participated in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia, where he finished as the runner-up to Jannik Sinner.
As Williams continues to cheer for the next generation of tennis stars, fans everywhere are eager to see how Alcaraz will shape the future of the sport.
