After the 37-year-old Spaniard lost to his fellow countryman in an exhibition match held in Las Vegas, Rafa Nadal said that one benefit of approaching his career end is that he will not have to play against Carlos Alcaraz too often.
“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” said Nadal, whose retirement is expected this year due to various injuries that had caused less exposure for him on the circuit.
Carlos Alcaraz – the future of Spanish tennis
Photo: Instagram.com/carlitosalcarazz
Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, had declared that 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is the future of Spanish tennis. At present, Alcaraz has won major titles and is rated second in the world after Noval Djokovic. Alcaraz’s excellent skills in tennis also led him to be awarded in the Open and Wimbledon.
“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20-years-old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments,” Nadal said. He admitted that he is a fan of Alcaraz and that Spain should be grateful to have an athlete such as Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nudal was out for nearly a year due to a hip flexor issue, before having a muscular ailment at the beginning of this season. In his exhibition match with Alcaraz, he declared that he was feeling much better than what he had expected.
As the highly anticipated ATP finals inched closer, one tennis legend was sighted, leaving an encouraging message for the World’s second-ranked tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz, on Instagram.
Alcaraz on Nadal: He’s my hero
Throughout his career, Alcaraz was often asked who his idol was, and his response was always the same: “Rafael Nadal.” Both players hail from Spain and have been an incredible force on court, continuously breaking barriers and setting records.
“I want to be one of the best tennis players in history. To be on the same table as the legend, Rafa. Rafa was my hero when I was young when I started playing tennis. Towards his matches, finals, lifting the best trophies in the world, I felt, for me, Rafa was my hero growing up,” Alcaraz said in Cincytennis’ latest Instagram post.
And with only a few days before the Finals takes off, Nadal decided to leave a message for his Spanish successor under the video, cheering him on as he takes on yet another daunting challenge: @carlitosalcarazz Big hug and good luck in Turin 💪🏻🙌 @nittoatpfinals
Rafa Nadal wishing Carlos Alcaraz luck before the ATP Finals in Turin:
At the young age of 20, Alcaraz has risen to as high as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP rankings, constantly competing with the 24-time grand slam winner, Novak Djokovic. In June of this year, Alcaraz outranked Djokovic after he won the Cinch Championships.
However, after Djokovic’s historic win at the US Open, he soon reclaimed the throne from Alcaraz.
Nevertheless, it’s clear to anyone that Alcaraz has been magnificent this year. And considering that he’s still young, many people are left in awe of his talent, including his rival Djokovic, who said that Alcaraz reminded him of Nadal so much.
Even Roger Federer himself commended Nadal on his accomplishments last month on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast.“Alcaraz is great. I mean, look, he’s still young & everything that he has achieved is fantastic. And not just on clay or just on hard. But also now winning Wimbledon against Novak in the final.. that is no joke. I mean he didn’t need to really prove that point but that’s another super asterisk in his CV.”
Despite Alcaraz’s current state of disarray, which has resulted in a succession of defeats in recent tournaments, the most notable of which was the Paris Masters, where he was eliminated in the first round, the Spaniard remains confident of a successful return to form at this year’s ATP Turin Finals.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic reunite at practice in Turin and it's 🔥🔥🔥
At the Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia, Carlos Alcaraz will try to relish his final encounter with his ‘idol’ and fellow countryman Rafael Nadal.
With athletes such as Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Rafael Nadal, youngster Alcaraz is in Riyadh for this prestigious event that is not an ATP-sanctioned competition.
Alcaraz got an opportunity to battle against his fellow Spaniard after defeating Holger Rune 6-4, 6-2 in the second quarter-final. Nadal and Djokovic were both awarded byes to the final four.
The young athlete admitted that he had mixed feelings about taking on Nadal, who was also his doubles partner at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. His feelings are all the more intense as he will face his idol at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event, where the final winner will receive £4.6m.
With this, Alcaraz declared: “Since I started to play tennis, I’ve been watching his matches. I look up to him and I grew up watching him. He was my idol, he is still my idol.”
He added: “A really important person for my life, for my career and he was one of the reasons that I wanted to become a professional tennis player. Knowing he is going to retire is pretty tough for everyone, for me… I will try to enjoy sharing the court with him once again, but I think it is really difficult for everyone.”
Nadal recently announced his retirement from the sport.
Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals as well. He will face Novak Djokovic.
Having just reached his first ATP final, Alcaraz’s fans were eager to see how he would fare in the tournament.
However, after his first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev, there were doubts about Alcaraz’s ability to dominate the tournament.
This loss further highlighted the fact that Alcaraz was still in a slump. After his sensational Wimbledon final performance, the Spaniard has not won a title since.
Alcaraz puts doubts to rest
But eventually, the Spaniard was able to put those doubts to rest when he snatched his first win at the finals against Andrey Rublev with a straight set victory of 7-5, 6-2.
He then followed this up with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the world’s third-ranked player, Daniil Medvedev.
As a result, Alcaraz was able to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament, replicating Nadal’s performance in 2006 and thus becoming the youngest semi-finalist in ATP history.
Carlos Alcaraz just became the youngest semifinalist at the ATP Finals since Rafa Nadal in 2006.
Both Nadal and Alcaraz followed a similar pattern throughout the tournament: they both lost their opening match but recovered swiftly to win their subsequent two games before facing the world’s top-ranked players in the semi-final.
Back then, Nadal faced former world No. 1 Roger Federer and, unfortunately, got ousted in the semi-finals.
For Alcaraz, he will be facing the strongest opponent in the tournament, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. But the question is, will he also follow in the footsteps of Nadal and lose to Djokovic?
In this regard, the fans certainly hope not.
Alcaraz on facing Djokovic: I’m excited to face Novak
In a post-match interview, Alcaraz said he was looking forward to facing Djokovic in the semi-finals of the ATP. He also expressed his admiration for the Serb’s remarkable performance throughout the year.
“It’s one of the most difficult challenges I’mgoing toa face. Facing Novak in ATP Finals, a tournament that he’s won 6 times. Obviously, Novak is Novak. He’s the best player in the world right now. He only lost 6 matches this year. That means he’s unbelievable. I’m gonna put my best tennis. I’m gonna enjoy. The same way I’ve been doing these last few matches. I’m excited to face Novak.”
Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s second-ranked tennis player, appears to be in a downward spiral ever since he won the Wimbledon title with a stunning 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, victory over Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard, who is only 20 years old, has not won a tournament in several months.
Then came his most catastrophic setback of all time: Alcaraz lost in the first round of the Paris Masters, much to the surprise of many fans.
Alcaraz vs. Safiullin
Alcaraz’s entry in the Paris Masters was highly anticipated, as it was supposed to be his resurgence following his withdrawal from the ATP Swiss Indoors Basel due to his left foot sole’s inflammation and gluteal muscle difficulties.
And, just a few days before the event, Alcaraz was also seen in an intense practice session with his arch-rival Djokovic, adding to the excitement and hope that the two would reprise their dramatic Wimbledon encounter.
The best points and shots from today’s special practice session between Alcaraz and Djokovic 💥 pic.twitter.com/1WGEkwZEbS
But unfortunately, all that hype came to an end after Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, a player who’s ranked 43 places lower than him, defeated the Spaniard 6-3,6-4.
An article from CNN wrote that the setback was difficult for him because he had high expectations for himself this time.
“It’s even more difficult, above all for me, to lose in the first rounds of a tournament that you expect to make the finals or where you expect a lot of yourself, it hurts. It hurts a lot,” Alcaraz said.
In addition, he also said that after his defeat, he needs to make many improvements in his game.
Via The Tennis Letter: “Right now I’m not in the right time to talk. Honestly after the loss, I have to take some time, you know, before thinking about the next days & what I have to do or what I’m gonna do.. But obviously before the ATP Finals begin, we have time. I just didn’t feel well on the court. A lot of things to improve, a lot of things to practice. I didn’t feel well in the game. I didn’t move well. In the shots, I think I had a good quality of shots. But, you know, physically in the part of movement, I have to improve a lot.”
Alcaraz congratulates opponent
Despite his defeat, Alcaraz greeted Safiullin in the center of the court, shook hands, and even had a conversation with him, during which he was spotted smiling.
In an X post, Alcaraz also congratulated his foe for winning the match, writing, “Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!”
Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz retracted his attendance at the Swiss Indoors Basel as he sustained two injuries. After his two failed Asian stints, Alcaraz vowed last week that he would attend the ATP 500 in Basel to try and catch up to Novak Djokovic before the Paris Masters.
Currently, the two are competing for the number 1 spot in the rankings, with Djokovic in the No. 1 spot with 8945 and Alcaraz in the No. 2 spot with 8445. In a post-match conference after the game with Dimitrov, the Spaniard tennis player said, “It’s been complicated for me to finish the year as No. 1, but I will try to do my best in Basel, which will be my next tournament. It’s going to be difficult but I want to try, “ as per tennisuptodate.
But, it seems Alcaraz may have to put his dreams on hold.
Alcaraz cancels Basel
The Swiss Indoors Basel recently announced on their Instagram that the 20-year-old has canceled his attendance at the tournament.
The post reads:
“Injured Alcaraz has to cancel Basel 🤕 Stan Wawrinka moves up to the main draw. Alcaraz had to cancel his start at the Swiss Indoors (October 21-29) today due to an injury. According to his doctor’s bulletin, the world number two is suffering from an inflammation of the sole of his left foot and problems in his gluteal muscles. Stan Wawrinka from Vaud is now in the main draw due to a move up in the entry list. The wildcard that has become free as a result will be awarded to the Swiss Leandro Riedi.”
In his X account, Alcaraz also let his fans know about his situation, saying “Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Basel this year! 🥲 I have a problem with the plantar fascia in my left foot and muscle fatigue in my lower back which need treatment so I can play the rest of the season. I hope to see you all soon!”
Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Basel this year! 🥲 I have a problem with the plantar fascia in my left foot and muscle fatigue in my lower back which need treatment so I can play the rest of the season. I hope to see you all soon! pic.twitter.com/44MvsjQDVn
Alcaraz recently joined the China Open and the Rolex Shanghai Masters tournament. However, he was defeated by Italian player Jannik Sinner in the China Open, and Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov in the Shanghai Masters, blocking his way to clinch another title and catch up to Djokovic in the rankings.
Alcaraz was nonetheless praised by 20-time grand slam champion Roger Federer, who added that it’s “normal” for him to fall short from time to time.
“And I think Carlos, he’s done as well as he possibly could have so far. And he’s going to lose some time to time, like here in Shanghai. But he’s doing fantastic. He’s got a great game & obviously an unbelievable future ahead of him,” Federer said.
Roger Federer says it’s normal for Carlos Alcaraz to lose from time to time:
“Alcaraz is great. I mean, look, he's still young & everything that he has achieved is fantastic. And not just on clay or just on hard. But also now winning Wimbledon against Novak in the final.. that… pic.twitter.com/7aUHCOXD5Y
