"I like Felix Auger-Aliassime, but don't think he has the spark to want to be No. 1, something that Carlos Alcaraz does have" - Emilio Alvarez

Former Spanish tennis professional Emilio Benfele Álvarez believes that Felix Auger-Aliassime doesn't have the same drive as Carlos Alcaraz to become World No. 1.

When asked about the next generation of players in a recent interview with Punto de Break, Benfele Álvarez stated that while they do play well, they will not be able to reach the same heights as the Big 3 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“They play very well, but we have had the Big 3, who for me are still aliens, and I don't think they will reach that level of tennis. The speed of the game is increasing, which will reach a limit, but getting three players who have taken the level to another type of tennis that had not been seen before, I don't think it can happen. The three have been pushing up and winning over everyone, except among themselves,” said Benfele Álvarez.

The 50-year-old admitted that while he admires Auger-Aliassime, he doesn't believe the Canadian has what it takes to hold the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings. He added that Carlos Alcaraz possesses the fire inside him to be at the top.

“I like Felix Auger-Aliassime, but I don't think he has the spark to want to be number one. That is something that Carlos Alcaraz does have. He has fire inside, like a lion. Aliassime is a dancer, he plays beautifully, very effective, but he lacks belief,” he added.

He believes that many of the younger players on the tour will start winning trophies when Novak Djokovic retires from the sport.

“Then there are Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas... Among the youngest Denis Shapovalov has yet to mature, Lorenzo Musetti plays tennis very well. There are many, like 15 or 20 who are going to share out the trophies among themselves in about three years, when Djokovic hangs up the racket,” he stated.

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A review of Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s 2022 seasons

Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2021 US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime put in strong performances in the just-concluded 2022 season.

Alcaraz was ranked World No. 31 going into his first tournament of the year, the Australian Open. Despite losing to Matteo Berrettini in five sets in the third round, he soon picked up the pace in the subsequent tournaments.

The teenage sensation advanced from outside the top 30 to the No. 1 spot by the end of the year thanks to his five title wins, including his maiden Grand Slam (US Open), two Masters 1000s (Miami and Madrid), and two more ATP 500s (Rio Open and Barcelona Open).

He was last seen in action at the Paris Masters, where he withdrew from the quarterfinals against Holger Rune due to an abdominal injury. The injury subsequently forced him to withdraw from the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup as well, bringing down the curtains on his 2022 campaign with a 57-13 win-loss record.

Felix Auger-Aliassime started his season representing Canada in the ATP Cup, which his team won. As a result, he hit a new career-high of World No. 9 on January 2022.

His best Grand Slam performance of the year came at the Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals. He won his first ATP title at the Rotterdam Open, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. Auger-Aliassime has won three more titles in the year — Firenze Open, European Open, and Swiss Indoors.

The 22-year-old's last appearance of the season came at the Davis Cup, where he, along with Denis Shapovalov, led Canada to the title. Overall, he registered a 60-27 win-loss record and finished 2022 ranked World No. 6.