Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal called Carlos Alcaraz “someone very special” and was pleased that his country has a young player who is likely to achieve great things in the game. Alcaraz, only 19 years old, is already a Grand Slam champion and is also the youngest number 1 in tennis history.
In 2022, Alcaraz enjoyed a very successful season and also wrote history in the process. Alcaraz recently became the youngest No. 1 of the year in tennis history. With Roger Federer retired and Nadal and Novak Djokovic in their thirties, tennis needs fresh faces.
Nadal, who is 36 years old, believes that tennis is in good hands with the likes of Alcaraz and Casper Ruud. “There has always been a generational change. It is true that we had been missing in recent years, we were only Nadal, Carreño, Bautista, but now someone very special has arrived.
Happy to have someone very good in our country and that we enjoy it for many years. Carlos is a very different player, who aspires to be one of the best in history. He is young, he has started well, he has the potential to achieve great things and he is already achieving them.
The next generation will have to carve out their path. It will take a while, stars will have to be generated, but they are on their way. There are already players of the new generation who have won Grand Slams. Here we have Casper, who has been doing important things for years.
There is a great generation of young people who are going to keep this sport very high,” Nadal said, according to Eurosport Spain. Alcaraz’s impressive rise and success is reminiscent of Nadal’s in 2005.
Wilander opens up on Alcaraz
Mats Wilander has said that Carlos Alcaraz shouldn’t be compared to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
“I think it will be really hard to digest 2022 for Alcaraz. But I also think (coach) Juan Carlos Ferrero is going to know exactly what they need to do. I think that there’s a validation process that has to happen for Carlos.
‘Am I really No. 1 in the world?’ “I mean, ‘what you’re putting me as No. 1 as a 19 year old? He doesn’t have to be considered the greatest player, but one thing is for sure: it is fun as hell to watch him play tennis when he’s that good and he’s laughing at the same time.
He’s the most inspirational tennis player that we have because of what he did in 2022 and most of all because of the way he did it. Never compare him to Rafa, Roger and Novak, the way he did it I’ve never seen anything like it,” the Swede expressed.
