According to 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz is a generational talent and hence aspires to be one of the best in tennis history. Nadal is currently in South America for a swing of exhibition matches with Casper Ruud and ahead of the event, he addressed the media.
He spoke highly of Carlos Alcaraz and hailed his monumental rise this season. Alcaraz started the year outside the Top 10 and ended it by becoming the youngest World No.1 in men’s tennis history. He won his maiden ATP 500 title, maiden Masters title, and a maiden major title this season.
Talking to the media about Alcaraz, he called him a generational talent and linked it with Spanish tennis. He said that for a long time, there were only three men representing Spanish tennis- himself, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Pablo Carreno Busta but something about Alcaraz seems different to Nadal.
“There has always been a generational change,” Nadal said. “It is true that we [Spain] had been missing [new players] in recent years, we were only Nadal, [Pablo] Carreno, [Roberto] Bautista, but now someone very special has arrived. Carlos is a very different player, who aspires to be one of the best in history.”
Rafael Nadal believes Carlos Alcaraz has a dazzling future ahead
Nadal further said that Alcaraz is very young and is already delivering on the big stage. He expressed his joy of just having someone like Alcaraz representing Spain on the global stage.
“He is young, he has started well, he has the potential to achieve great things and he is already achieving them. I’m happy to have someone very good in our country and that we [can] enjoy him for many years,” Nadal added.
As for Nadal, he ended the season by beating Casper Ruud in his last group-stage match of the season. He bowed out if the ATP Finals after losing his first two matches at Turin to Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Taylor Fritz.
