Carlos Alcaraz has stated that he continues to get nervous whenever he meets Rafael Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz has always stated that he looked up to his compatriot when he was growing up and always watched his matches since he started playing tennis. The rising star has previously expressed admiration for Nadal’s ability to turn a match around.
“He’s my idol since I was a kid. Everybody knows how Rafa’s game is and he has a thousand lives in the match. When he’s down, he can turn the game around,” he said after their Indian Wells semifinal clash in 2022.
After that Masters 1000 clash, Nadal was asked what parts of himself he had noticed in Alcaraz. In reply, he said:
“The energy. The speed. The passion, determination he has to become a great champion. Humble enough to work hard. I don’t have any doubts that he will be great. He is already, by the way.”
So far, Nadal and Alcaraz have faced each other three times on the ATP tour. The former won their first two meetings at the 2021 Madrid Masters and 2022 Indian Wells Masters. They last faced each other at the Madrid Masters in 2022, where Alcaraz triumphed en route to the title.
Now, ahead of the 2024 Australian Open, Alcaraz reiterated his admiration of Nadal and stated that he still gets nervous whenever he is around the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
“He [Rafael Nadal] makes me nervous, obviously. I mean, I’ve met him a lot of times right now but I still have nerves when I am speaking with him. Yeah ofcourse, he is my idol, he is my role model since I started playing tennis. So, I think the nerves will appear it’s something that’s impossible to pull out,” he said. (via Eurosport)
Rafael Nadal pulls out of 2024 Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz eyes maiden title Down Under
Having sat out the entire 2023 season after the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal returned to action at the Brisbane International earlier this month. He defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler before losing to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals.
During his defeat to Tompson, the 37-year-old was forced to take an off-court medical timeout after he felt some pain in his left hip, the same area where he had surgery last year.
Later, Nadal took to social media to reveal that an MRI found a micro tear in his hip muscle and that he was withdrawing from the Melbourne Major. He also stated that his current priority is to get in shape for the French Open and the Paris Olympics.
Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, will be in action in the season’s first Grand Slam. Having missed the tournament last year due to an injury, he will be eager to make it past the third round at Melbourne Park for the first time in his career.
The 20-year-old is set to face French veteran Richard Gasquet in his opening-round contest on Sunday, January 14. The two have faced each other once before, in the 2021 Umag final, where Alcaraz won in straight sets.
