Carlos Alcaraz, who appears to be walking in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal, has expressed concerns over his idol's health ahead of the French Open 2022.
Spanish teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz has made waves in tennis, with several enthusiasts calling him the next Rafael Nadal. The 19-year-old, who idolises the 21-time Grand Slam champion, is set for the French Open 2022 and is one of the contenders to clinch the crown at Roland Garros, especially with the 13-time winner struggling with a chronic foot injury.
Last week, Nadal revealed that daily training was becoming a challenge and would take a doctor with him to Paris after a chronic foot injury flared up during his shocking loss to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open. The 35-year-old, who recently recovered from a rib injury, struggled towards the end of his match against the Canadian as Nadal went down 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the last-16 in Rome.
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Raising concerns over his idol Nadal's health, Alcaraz has expressed that he feels hurt to see his compatriot in such a painful situation. The 19-year-old, who skipped the Italian Open to attend to a swollen ankle, spoke at an event where he received the accolade for the Best Athlete in Murcia.
Talking to the media on the red carpet, Alcaraz, who recently outplayed his idol at the Madrid Open, grabbed attention with his comments on Nadal's chronic foot injury. "It hurts to see Rafa Nadal suffering with the sport he loves," the Spanish sensation remarked.
While Nadal will not be ready to surrender his 'King of Clay' throne just yet, for Alcaraz, the next step would be to transcend his form into a Grand Slam and the best-of-five sets format. If the teenager clinched a win at Roland Garros, which begins on May 22, his leap to mainstream recognition would be complete.
Fellow players and pundits have tipped Alcaraz to do just that, while bookmakers have made him one of the favourites alongside 13-time winner Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic.