Carlos Alcaraz ready to win a Grand Slam 'this year' in warning to Nadal and Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz is setting his sights high after making history as the youngest man ever to win the Miami Open. The 18-year-old now believes he has the ability to win his first Grand Slam title as early as this year, threatening Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal's attempts to continue their race for the most Major titles with Djokovic on 20 and Nadal on 21.

Alcaraz has long been seen as one of the brightest young prospects in the men's game and announced himself as a current top player by winning the Miami Open just a month shy of his 19th birthday on Sunday. The Spaniard defeated third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and defending champion Hubert Hurkacz en route to the final, where he dispatched sixth seed Casper Ruud 7-5 6-4 to win his Maiden Masters 1000.

The 18-year-old achieved multiple feats during his Miami run - becoming the youngest male champion in tournament history, third-youngest man ever to win a Masters and the youngest man ever to make back-to-back finals in Indian Wells and Miami. He exceeded even his own expectations, having set a goal to crack the top 15 by the end of the year and achieving it by rising to world No 11 with his title win.

And the three-time title winner has now re-evaluated his aims after the monumental victory, claiming that he's "not afraid" to say he can go on to win a Grand Slam title this year. It puts pressure on Djokovic and Nadal, who are in the midst of the race for the most Major titles after Nadal made history by winning a record 21st at the Australian Open.

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With the clay season around the corner, which Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has previously named as his charge's most successful surface, the new