Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz has already drawn comparisons with the great Rafael Nadal after winning three ATP titles in 2022.
Carlos Alcaraz has taken the world of tennis by storm. The Spanish teenager has already cemented a reputation as a future star, having won three ATP titles in 2022 in Rio, Miami, and Barcelona, and risen to No.9 in the world rankings in the process. Inevitably, that has drawn comparisons with Spanish compatriot Rafael Nadal.
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The 35-year-old Spanish ace, who was considered down and out after an injury last year, made a comeback to the sport with a win against Daniil Medvedev to clinch the Australian Open 2022. With this win, Nadal became the first man in the history of the game to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.
Nadal then clinched the Mexico Open before reaching the final at Indian Wells where his 20-0 winning streak was ended by Taylor Fritz in the final. Following the loss, the Spaniard revealed he had suffered a stress fracture in his rib and would be out of action for six weeks.
The 5-time Madrid Open champion will return to action on Tuesday in the Spanish capital, with the draw throwing up the possibility of a quarter-final encounter between him and Alcaraz. Ahead of the potential clash, both the Spanish stars spoke about each other.
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Nadal believes 18-year-old Alcaraz has all the attributes to become a "huge star" in men's tennis. In an exclusive interview with Eurosport, the 21-time Grand Slam winner said, "As everybody knows he (Alcaraz) is amazing. He's a big candidate to win a lot of Grand Slams and become the number one player in the world."
"What he is doing is fantastic so well done for him and I wish him all the very best. He is doing a lot of things similar to me. He is young, he has the passion and the energy. He has every single thing to become a huge star. I'm like a Spanish spectator, personally, I'm happy to have someone like him to stay on the tour for a long time and achieve a lot of things," Nadal added.
Meanwhile, on constant comparisons with his 'hero' Nadal, Alcaraz said, "Gradually I take it more and more normally. I have always said that if you are compared to Rafa it is because you are doing things well. Rafa, after all, is one of the best in history and being compared to him is good, to a certain extent."
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"On the other hand, if they compare you to him, it is because they throw stones in your backpack, but if they throw stones at me, I throw them at them. "But yes, I'm getting better and better. I'm pretty good at it. I tell everyone that I don't consider myself famous yet. When people start to recognize me, it is something that I take as naturally as possible and I like it, for me, it is a pleasure that people get to know you," the 18-year-old sensation added.
The teenager will be considered a contender for the French Open next month, whilst Nadal will be looking to extend his imperious record at Roland Garros. Of his 21 Slam wins, 13 have come in Paris. Alcaraz and Nadal have already played each other twice on tour, with the veteran winning both encounters.