Alcaraz is soaring in Shanghai, this is the moment.

This year's Shanghai Masters stands out as exceptional compared to previous editions.

Because the newly crowned US Open champion and current world number one, the versatile Spanish player Alcaraz, decided to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters to carefully treat and recover from a left ankle injury; because the defending champion and Italy’s rising star Sinner, who dropped to world number two after failing to defend his US Open title, retired due to injury in the third round and sadly exited the tournament; and because world number three Zverev from Germany and world number four Fritz from the USA performed poorly and were eliminated early.

Because world number five, Serbian titan Djokovic, had to endure the hot and humid weather in Shanghai as well as his aging physical condition that limits his stamina, his three consecutive wins were hard-fought, even described as narrow victories (although his quarterfinal match tonight was relatively easier, winning in straight sets); after the first four rounds, only two of the top eight seeds remained: seventh seed De Minaur from Australia in the top half and fourth seed Djokovic in the bottom half, their star power dimming and evoking sighs of regret.

For these reasons, fans believe that Canadian rising star Alcaraz has a great opportunity to take off at the Shanghai Masters.

Born in August 2000, Alcaraz gained early fame as one of the first standout players born in the 2000s. In 2016, he won the US Open junior title, and after turning professional in 2017, he qualified for the main draw of the 2018 US Open, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to reach a Grand Slam main draw.

In 2019 at the ATP 500 Rio tournament, Alcaraz reached the final, becoming the first 2000s-born player to reach an ATP Tour final; at the 2019 Miami Masters, he surprisingly made the semifinals, the first 2000s-born player to reach a Masters semifinal; at the 2020 US Open, he advanced to the round of 16, the first 2000s-born player to reach this stage in a Grand Slam; in 2021, after reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, he went further to the semifinals at the US Open, becoming the first 2000s-born player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.

As Alcaraz continued to achieve impressive results in Masters and Grand Slam tournaments, his world ranking rose rapidly. On August 19, 2019, he broke into the top 20 for the first time; on November 15, 2021, he entered the top 10; and on November 7, 2022, he reached a career-high ranking of sixth in the world.

Facing this rising star of the 2000s generation, tennis legends have praised him highly and placed great hopes on his future. Former world number four and American legend Agassi, and British knight Murray’s former coach Gilbert, praised Alcaraz’s “amazing talent, extraordinary skills, excellent athleticism, and strong work ethic.” American legend and seven-time Grand Slam winner McEnroe predicted, “Alcaraz will become world number one and win a Grand Slam title in 2024.” Swedish legend and seven-time Grand Slam champion Wilander boldly forecasted, “I believe Alcaraz will win five or six Grand Slam titles; he has the professionalism and consistency to do so.”

Unfortunately, due to injury troubles, Alcaraz’s form declined steadily after 2023, with worsening results and a drop in world ranking, finishing both 2023 and 2024 ranked 29th at year-end. His best achievements in these two years were winning the 2023 ATP 500 Basel title and finishing runner-up at the 2024 Madrid Masters.

While Alcaraz struggled and stagnated, Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz and Italy’s rising star Sinner emerged, continuously surpassing him with more brilliant accomplishments. Their Masters titles, Grand Slam victories, year-end championships, and world number one rankings are honors that Alcaraz has found difficult to match or approach.

Entering the 2025 season, the determined Canadian Alcaraz finally showed significant improvement. He won two ATP 250 titles early in the year (Adelaide and Montpellier), reached the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Masters, and after four years, returned to the US Open semifinals. Alcaraz thus declared: the Canadian who once set many firsts for players born in the 2000s is back.

At this Shanghai Masters, seeded 12th, Alcaraz performed steadily, fully utilizing his signature serve, forehand attack, and speed. After a first-round bye, he won three consecutive matches to reach the quarterfinals. Looking at the other seven players in the last eight, fans believe Alcaraz has great potential to soar now, this is his time.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Colorful Fan)