When top athletes and successful sports stars are asked what they would have liked to become if not introduced to their respective sport, many scratch their heads and fail to give a definitive answer. That is not the case with tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The 22-time grand slam champion has proven that apart from tennis, he could have been fairly successful in another sport as well.

If there’s one sport other than tennis that Nadal would have liked to be a pro at, it would quite certainly be golf. Fans who have seen him play in several competitive golf tournaments will know that his love for the sport goes back a long way. Now, it seems that tennis’ new superstar Carlos Alcaraz has a passion for golf as well, quite similar to that of his compatriot Rafael Nadal.

Carlos Alcaraz’s love for golf is reminiscent of ‘idol’ Rafael Nadal

Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz secured a thumping 6-2, 6-3 victory against Jiri Lehecka to book his place in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Queen’s Club Championships, as he looks to build momentum ahead of the all-important Wimbledon. Right after the match, Alcaraz was seen unwinding with his team with a makeshift game of mini golf on one of the tennis courts at Queen’s.

On being asked about his indulgence with golf right after his win during his post-match press conference, the top seed at the Queen’s Championships said, “Well, we play a lot of games when I’m with my team, and mini golf, golf, are one of them. It’s something that turn off my mind a little bit to be happy to enjoy, you know, the time here and, you know, have quality time with my team as well… It’s something that I love to play, love to learn.

He further added how golf is a sport that allows him to relax: “Yeah, as I say, it’s something that they help me a lot to, you know, to turn off my mind a little bit from tennis.”

His passion for golf is very similar to that of Rafael Nadal, the person he idolized growing up, whose prowess as a golfer is pretty well known.

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Nadal’s tryst with golf

Rafael Nadal can be found more often than not on the golf course when not on a tennis court. The King of Clay is a scratch golfer with a handicap score of 0.3 to 1.5. Right after winning the Australian Open in 2022, Nadal participated in the Balearic Mid-Amateur Golf Championship in his hometown of Mallorca and went on to finish in the second spot on the leaderboard. Years earlier, he also talked about his admiration for golf legend Tiger Woods.

Certainly, golf has helped Rafael Nadal to maintain his fitness and mental strength throughout his legendary tennis career. As Alcaraz follows suit, he will be hoping to emulate his idol’s success both on the tennis court and on the golf course.

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