Rafael Nadal makes big claim over Carlos Alcaraz as he assesses young guns
Carlos Alcaraz has slumped to some disappointing results in recent weeks, but Rafael Nadal is convinced he will be the next star of the men’s game.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion lost against Alcaraz in Madrid last year, with that experience helping to convince him that his compatriot is the player most likely to lead the game after Novak Djokovic hangs up his racket.
Even though Alcaraz has struggled against Jannik Sinner in their early meetings, Nadal told Agencia EFE that the Wimbledon champion has the raw materials to be the best of the next generation of champions.
“I believe that Carlos is superior to the others,” said Nadal.
“I think there are other players with a high level like Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune who had started well and is now having a difficult time now, but winning is always very difficult in every way and you have to value what they all do.”
Alcaraz lost against Djokovic in the French Open after cramping struck him in the third set and Nadal hinted that the outcome of that match may have been different if the youngster had retained his fitness levels.
“I think Carlos had a great opportunity at Roland Garros to prevent Djokovic from winning three but unfortunately what happened to him physically happened to him,” he continues.
“He later he made up for it and achieved something historic for our sport, at Wimbledon and happy for it.
“The season has been going on, I think that in the end the things that have happened have not been very surprising.”
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Nadal also spoke about his emotions after missing most of 2023 due to injury and he seemed to be philosophical about missing so much action as he nursed a hip problem.
“I haven’t been able to miss the competition much,” he said. “I have a theory and it is that you can miss things when you feel like you can be there.
“When you see that you can’t, because physically you can’t. Well, one cannot miss competing.
“You have to live day to day and I have tried to be happy with what I have had and I think I have achieved it in my day-to-day life.
“About competition? In the end, I am a person I am competitive but not only in tennis. It has been difficult for me not to be able to play golf, which at the end of the day is a way of competing, it has been difficult for me not to have been able to compete doing other things.
“Obviously in tennis I have missed being on the circuit, being able to compete, being able to feel like a player, going out to the best tracks with a full stadium; of course I miss it but I can’t live with it.”
Nadal was also asked about the prospect of playing with Alcaraz at next summer’s Olympic Games and he added: “I wish, but I don’t know. If I’m fine and he wants to, I’ll be happy.”
