Carlos Alcaraz has the ‘potential to achieve great things’, says Rafael Nadal

Tennis great Rafael Nadal admits he is delighted that Spain has produced the next generational talent in Carlos Alcaraz, describing the teenager as “someone very special”.
After an excellent breakthrough campaign in 2021, Alcaraz’s meteoric rise continued in 2022 as he went from outside the top 30 in the ATP Rankings to finish the year as the world No 1 – becoming the youngest to do so at the age of just 19.
His surge to the top came on the back of winning his maiden Grand Slam, the US Open in September, and winning three other titles – including two ATP Masters 1000 trophies.
Alcaraz is the first player outside of the Big Three of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to be the year-end No 1 since 2003.
Former world No 1 Nadal is naturally pleased that the sport’s potentially next great player is Spanish.
“There has always been a generational change,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner 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.
“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.”
With Nadal, Djokovic and Federer dominating tennis over the past two decades, many have wondered if the sport will struggle once they retire.
However, the 36-year-old is convinced that the future is bright.
“In the past there was [Bjorn] Borg, [Guillermo] Vilas, [Jimmy] Connors, [John] McEnroe, [Andre] Agassi, [Pete] Sampras, [Ivan] Lendl… today we are here,” Nadal said.
“There is nothing more important than the sport itself, I have said it many times. And somehow there will be four Grand Slam champions every year, and at historical tournaments, of Masters 1000 events.
“It is a reality that we have seen three players who have done things that had not been achieved in the past. The next generation will have to carve their way. 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 [Ruud] who has been doing important things for years.
“There is a great generation of young people who will keep this sport very high.”
READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz: Biography, Lifestyle, Lovelife, Net Worth, Career, Endorsements
Latest
-
Tennis News
‘Novak Djokovic is the perfect athlete for tennis – his body was more ready to last than Rafael Nadal’
“I said that he will probably be the record holder of number of Grand Slams when he had 12 or 13.”
-
Tennis News
John McEnroe names player who could make next Laver Cup a ‘different story’
John McEnroe admits next year’s Laver Cup could be a “different story” after Team World’s crushing victory.
-
Tennis News
Roger Federer reveals his dream Laver Cup doubles pairing for 2024
Federer wants to see Djokovic and Alcaraz play on the same Team Europe in Berlin next year.
-
Tennis News
Muted end to a flat Laver Cup as next year’s host city is revealed
Team World beat Team Europe 13-2 to win a one-sided Laver Cup.
-
Tennis News
Casper Ruud makes honest confession about Laver Cup victory
Casper Ruud has special inspiration at the Laver Cup.
-
Tennis News
ATP Race to Turin set to heat up in Beijing as Jannik Sinner seeks Finals debut
Jannik Sinner will be trading Milan’s catwalks for Beijing’s hard courts.
-
ATP Tour
Timeline of when Carlos Alcaraz could take Novak Djokovic’s No 1 ranking
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are ready to battle it out for the prized year-end world No 1 ranking.
-
Tennis News
Elena Rybakina hits out at WTA over Japan Open draw changes
Elena Rybakina misses out on first roun bye due to WTA experiment.
-
Tennis News
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff’s US Open prize money sparks fresh equal pay debate
Novak Djokovic was paid $2,730 per minute for his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open earlier this month.