Carlos Alcaraz asked if emulating Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open titles is ‘impossible’
Carlos Alcaraz has declared that “only people who aren’t from this world” are capable of matching Rafael Nadal’s achievements as he branded his great compatriot’s success “barbarity.”
The 21-year-old, who has already won four-time Grand Slam titles, has been compared to Nadal since his meteoric rise to the top of the sport.
In 2023, Alcaraz did not rule out the prospect of chasing down Nadal‘s astonishing record of 14 French Open titles in his career.
The Spaniard secured his maiden Roland Garros crown last year, beating Alexander Zverev in a five-set final.
In an interview with Marca, Alcaraz was asked if he now considers Nadal’s French Open feat as being impossible for him to emulate.
“Yes. What Rafa has done on clay is the greatest in sports. Not just in tennis,” said the world No 3 (translated from Spanish).
“Winning 14 Roland Garros, 11 times in Monte Carlo, eight in a row, that’s barbarity. Only people who aren’t from this world are capable of doing it.”
The former world No 1 was also asked if he handled pressure better when he was 19 or 20 than he does now.
“The truth is yes,” Alcaraz admitted. “When you’re young, or in my case younger, when you arrive on the tour everything is very new.
“It’s a different kind of pressure. It’s the pressure of playing with players you’ve seen on TV; the pressure of wanting to show the world what you’re capable of.
“I think that pressure is nice, something you’re grateful for, because it helps you stay alert and give your best. It’s a much easier path.
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“The pressure I have now, or players who have already won things, is the pressure of wanting to make people happy because otherwise they’re going to beat you up. And that’s the pressure I really don’t like. When you’re new, everything is easier.”
On whether his serve is the area of his game he wants to improve the most, Alcaraz added: “My serve is going well, but of course there’s a lot to improve. Here on clay, it’s not as important. There are a lot of breaks.
“It’s true that in Monte Carlo I struggled a lot with my serve, but it wasn’t something that worried me because I knew that if they broke me, I could get it back. I’m confident, like my team, that my serve will pay off in the long run.”
Alcaraz won his maiden Monte Carlo Masters title last week, and he is currently in action at the Barcelona Open, where he is seeking a third crown.
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