"I wish to be like her" - Carlos Alcaraz hopes to emulate fellow World No. 1 Iga Swiatek

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have endured a standout season in 2022, with both players attaining the World No. 1 position in their respective disciplines.

While the Spaniard won five titles, including the US Open this year, the Pole pocketed eight tiles, including the French Open and the US Open. Swiatek also went on a 37-match unbeaten streak this year, the longest in the 21st century.

In an interview with Arab News, 19-year-old Alcaraz waxed lyrical about her season and winning streak.

“I see her year has been incredible, she broke a record I think for the longest winning streak (this century). It’s amazing,” Alcaraz said of Swiatek.

Swiatek became World No. 1 earlier this year (March-April) after Ashleigh Barty announced her retirement, and has held onto that spot ever since. Alcaraz, on the other hand, became No. 1 considerably later, climbing to the top spot in September after his US Open triumph.

While the teenager hopes to hold on to the top spot in the rankings like Swiatek has done, he knows it will be "impossible" to do so.

“I wish to be like her, to not lose the No. 1. But I think it’s almost impossible. I’m going to lose it but the point is to recover it and stay there at No. 1 as much as I can," Carlos Alcaraz expressed.

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Like Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz also strongly believes in sports psychology

Carlos Alcaraz [left] with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero at the 2022 US Open

A big part of Iga Swiatek's climb to the top and her dominance can be attributed to the importance she has given to the mental conditioning side of the game. She travels to most major events with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who helps her mind be in sync with her body and game.

Carlos Alcaraz, too, has been working with a sports psychologist -- Isabel Balaguer -- for two years now, as revealed by coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in the same interview with Arab News.

“It’s been about two years he’s working with her. It’s not like every week but every time that he feels he needs to talk to her about something that maybe is not right or something that is giving him more troubles in a match, he talks to her and tries to fix it a little bit,” said Ferrero.

The former World No. 1 revealed that he is in regular touch with Balaguer, who provides him with updates regarding Alcaraz's overall development.

“I talk to her every week. She talks to me about how he’s doing, how he’s practicing and all the things we’ve been talking about that he went through after the US Open, we’re trying to handle all the package, so she’s working very well,” he added.