Serena Williams backs Carlos Alcaraz to chase Novak Djokovic's record
Serena Williams lit up Oviedo with her golden presence at the Princess of Asturias Awards. One of the greatest players of all time was greeted by the sound of bagpipes and the warmth of the Spanish crowd.
Serena danced upon arrival and embraced the festive spirit before heading to a press conference. The American turned her attention to another star of our sport - Carlos Alcaraz.
Having followed the young gun's career closely, Williams expressed deep admiration for the 22-year-old Spaniard's achievements and mindset. She also made bold prediction and backed him to chase ultimate tennis glory!
Serena highlighted Carlos' remarkable potential and reminded that tennis barriers that once seemed impossible to break continue to fall. For the legend, Alcaraz embodies that same drive of greatness that once pushed Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to redefine the sport's limits.
Carlos' youth, resilience and the fierce competition around him can fuel an era of extraordinary success. Per Williams, only sky is the limit for the El Palmar native.
Serena backed the youngster to chase Novak Djokovic's record of 24 Major trophies. It has been so far so good for the Spaniard, who stands as the second-youngest player with six Major crowns after Bjorn Borg.
Alcaraz's next goal? The Career Grand Slam at 22 at the upcoming Australian Open! Williams is one of the game's ultimate champions, and her words carry the weight of experience.
There's also a genuine enthusiasm for a player poised to shape tennis history in the upcoming years. In Oviedo, Serena celebrated her legacy and the game's future, forging a golden collection between two eras of champions.
"Carlos is doing incredible things; I'm a huge fan of him. I always call him when he plays, to cheer him on. Can he equal or surpass Novak's 24 Major titles. At this point, anything is possible.
When Roger started, no one thought he could surpass Pete Sampras, and he did. Then Rafa did the same, and then Novak. Carlos is very young, he has great rivals, but of course it's possible.
Records are there to be broken," Serena Williams said.
Overlooked Starter Facing Criticism for Steelers Defensive Woes
The Pittsburgh Steelers had major issues trying to cover the Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers and place pressure on quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 7. But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin blamed the run defense as much as anything for the team’s issues in Cincinnati.
On Thursday, former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke had one player in mind to blame for the Steelers poor run defense — Keeanu Benton.
“Two of those [long runs allowed] were Keeanu Benton,” Hoke argued on Thursday’s The Pomp and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan, via Steelers Depot’s Jeremy Pike. “He’s just got to be in his gap.
“I praised him a couple times over the last couple weeks about how he played; I think he played very, very well against the Vikings in Dublin. I think he had a sack and a half. He had a couple tackles for a loss. Played extremely well in terms of technique and leverage.
“Then this game, whether you’re trying to make a play, whatever you’re trying to do, it’s not consistent.”
Steelers’ Keeanu Benton Struggling to Take Next Step in Development
As Benton has gone this season, so has the Pittsburgh defense. Really, he has been a microcosm of the play from the Steelers defense this season.
Benton posted a below average Pro Football Focus player grade in run defense during the first three weeks of the season and in Week 7. In those four games, the Steelers allowed an average of 140 rushing yards per contest.
In Weeks 4 and 6, Benton recorded an average PFF run defense grade. During those two games, the Steelers yielded 135 rushing yards total.
PFF grades are not the end all, be all. Benton also hasn’t posted a PFF run defense grade above 61 (out of 100) in any game this season. So even in his better performances, Benton hasn’t been elite.
But it does appear that when he struggles to stay in his gap, the Steelers run defense experiences major issues.
The Steelers will enter Week 8 ranked 17th in rushing yards allowed per contest.
Another Former Steelers Player Criticizes Defensive Line
Hoke, who started 10 games for the Steelers No. 1-ranked defense in 2004, wasn’t the only former Pittsburgh player who didn’t like what he saw from the black and gold last week.
Former Steelers full back Merril Hodge didn’t call out Benton specifically. But Hodge was very critical of the Pittsburgh defensive line.
“The thing that was probably the most concerning was their defensive line kind of fell back into the first two weeks,” Hodge said during an appearance on 102.5 WDVE this week, via Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora. “How they kinda got manhandled. Cincinnati manhandled them up front.”
Simply put, that’s just not a recipe for success.
Benton has to play better, but so does the rest of the Steelers defensive line.
In six games this season, Benton has posted 12 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also has five quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks.
At PFF, Benton has registered mostly ugly grades. He has excelled the most, according to the PFF grades, at rushing the passer.
