Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal described Carlos Alcaraz as “someone very special” as he is happy that his country has a young player that will likely achieve major things in the game. Alcaraz, who is just 19, is already a Grand Slam champion and he is also the youngest No 1 in tennis history.
In 2022, Alcaraz enjoyed a very successful season and also wrote history in the process. Most recently, Alcaraz became the youngest Year-End No 1 in tennis history. With Roger Federer retired and Nadal and Novak Djokovic being well in their thirties, tennis needs new faces.
Nadal, who is 36, feels tennis is in good hands with the likes such as Alcaraz and Casper Ruud.
Nadal on Alcaraz’s rise and success
“There has always been a generational change. It is true that we had been missing in recent years, we were only Nadal, Carreño, Bautista, but now someone very special has arrived.
Happy to have someone very good in our country and that we enjoy him for many years. Carlos is a very different player, who aspires to be one of the best in history. He is young, he has started well, he has the potential to achieve great things and he is already achieving them The next generation will have to carve their way.
It will take a while, stars will have to be generated, but they are on their way. There are already players of the new generation who have won Grand Slams. Here we have Casper who has been doing important things for years. There is a great generation of young people who will keep this sport very high,” Nadal said, per Eurosport Spain.
Alcaraz’s stunning rise and success reminded of the one Nadal had in 2005. At the start of the 2022 season, Nadal was constantly getting questions about Alcaraz. Then, Nadal urged the media not to compare Alcaraz to him as that way they would help the 19-year-old.
