‘I’m Doing Things Right’ – Sensational Carlos Alcaraz Takes Rafael Nadal’s Comparison in Stride as He Aims to Forge a New Path

Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz spoke about how his boyhood idol and fellow countryman, Rafael Nadal, has inspired him in his career. He says he learned about the “fighting spirit” from Rafael Nadal after playing his childhood idol at Indian Wells last month.

The 18-year-old has a spectacular record at such a young age and is having a wonderful year. Having become the youngest champion of an ATP 500 tournament (Rio de Janeiro), last week he conquered the Barcelona open to win his fourth title.

The Constant Comparison With Rafael Nadal

Being a Spaniard who has achieved a lot in a brief span of time, his comparison with Nadal has become almost inevitable for Carlos. After breaking into the top 10 of ATP rankings, Carlos is being regarded as a future great by many players and experts, but the 18-year-old has remained unfazed by such comparisons and has, in fact, taken it positively.

When asked about the pressure of constant comparison with Nadal, he said, “Little by little I’m taking it more normal and I’m getting better and better. If they compare you with Rafa, it’s because I’m doing things right.”

He also spoke about how it is important to remain grounded and not get complacent with success. “I handle it quite well. I tell everyone I don’t consider myself to be famous. When I get recognized, I take it in stride,” he added.

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Alcaraz shares a very good bond with his coaching team. He credits his coach, Juan Carlos, for his grounded behavior. He also speaks about how difficult it was for the coaching team to handle him in his initial days.

“The team is there to tell me about the bad things and although it frustrates me, it’s better for me. At first it was tough. I was very difficult. [Coach] Juan Carlos [Ferrero] had a tough time, because I was really disorganised. And I still am, just a bit less!” he concluded.

Carlos Alcaraz May Meet Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Open

The World No. 9 will play Italian Fabio Fognini or Nikoloz Basilashvili in his first match and may face ninth seed Cameron Norrie in the third round. if Alcaraz and Nadal both advance to the last eight, we might see them compete for the third time.

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Although Nadal leads the head-to-head score by 2-0, this could be an opportunity for Carlos to register his first win against the legendary player.