Boris Becker waxes lyrical about Carlos Alcaraz and backs him to emulate Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz has been backed to follow in Novak Djokovic's footsteps by reaching the world No 1 ranking despite his early loss in Monte Carlo. The Serb's former coach Boris Becker believes the 18-year-old will reach the top spot of men's tennis if he continues his current trajectory in what is the latest in a series of big predictions for Alcaraz from former pros.

Alcaraz has been tipped for huge success after becoming the youngest man ever to win the Miami Open, a month shy of his 19th birthday. The world No 11 suffered a disappointing follow-up tournament in Monte Carlo where he received a bye to the second round and lost to fellow Next Gen star Sebastian Korda, but Boris Becker isn't alarmed by the Spaniard's recent defeat.

The man who worked with current world No 1 Djokovic for three years, including what many see as one of his most dominant seasons in 2015, has backed Alcaraz to emulate the Serb's ascent to the top of the rankings. "If everything continues normally, then yes he can be world No 1," he told Eurosport's 'Das Gelbe Vom Ball' podcast.

The German, who won his first-ever Grand Slam title as a teenager aged just 17, silenced doubters after Alcaraz's three-set loss to Korda in Monte Carlo, continuing: "He's only 18, but you only have to look at the way he's played over the last six months. He went to Miami and just kept winning."

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Alcaraz also surpassed Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the youngest man ever to teach back-to-back semi-finals in Indian Wells and Miami with his runs during the 'Sunshine Double', having lost to his compatriot in a closeIndian Wells semi. Becker noted that the 18-year-old's ability to bounce back from