Nadal On Alcaraz: 'I Really Believe He Is Going To Be A Fantastic Player'
Rafael Nadal only lost three games on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open against Carlos Alcaraz, the 18-year-old who many believe might be the next great Spanish player. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Nadal had many positive things to say about his #NextGenATP countryman.
“When you make a salad and you are putting ingredients inside the salad, he has plenty of ingredients to become a great player,” Nadal said. “That’s the main thing. Then of course, nothing is easy.
“You’re going to have big opponents in front. Nothing is easy in this life. Being one of the best players in the world and fighting for the most important titles is something very difficult, but I really believe that he’s one of the guys [who] can do it.”
Nadal discussed Alcaraz’s aggressive game and how much potential the teenager has.
“He’s a young and good guy,” Nadal said. “He already has a great level of tennis today, but I really believe that he is going to be a fantastic player in the near future.
“I wish him all the very best. [As a] Spanish player and [as a] Spanish fan, I really believe that we need somebody like him, and it’s great to have him here.”
Already World No. 120, Alcaraz is the youngest player in the Top 500 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Nadal explained how rare it is to see a player that age with the Murcia-native’s skills.
“When somebody at his age is able to do the things that he’s doing, it’s because you have something special. And at the same time, he’s humble enough to keep working. He’s passionate about the game,” Nadal said. “I really believe that he’s a complete player. He’s brave, he’s able to go to the net very often. Great forehand, great backhand. Of course, [he] needs to improve a little bit the serve, but he’s just 18 today, so he has plenty of time.”
Nadal won 63 per cent of his return points on Wednesday. The five-time Madrid champion is always fully focussed on the player in front of him, so he will quickly turn his attention to Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin, who defeated Jannik Sinner in the second round.
“He has a huge serve, great forehand, young, another tough opponent. But here we are in a Masters 1000, so we can’t expect another thing,” Nadal said. “I hope to be ready to play well. That’s what I’m going to need every single day if I want to have chances to keep playing. Tomorrow is another tough battle. I hope to be ready.”
The top seed is happy to be competing at the Caja Magica, where he is enjoying the support from his home fans.
“[I] enjoyed a lot being back [at] this very important place in front of probably the most loyal crowd in the world for me, so I enjoyed playing in front of them,” Nadal said. “Even if it was not a comfortable start against a very young and great player like Carlos, I think I played a solid match and I did what I had to do to be through. [I’m] very happy about the performance today.”