It’s never easy to bid farewell to your childhood idol. When Carlos Alcaraz emotionally thanked Spanish legend Rafael Nadal “for being an inspiration to all of us,” tears rolled the inner him just to see the 22-time Slam winner drift apart from the sport he gave everything to for nearly two decades. The ‘King of Clay’ played the final match of his illustrious career representing Spain at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga in November last year. However, since his departure, Alcaraz hasn’t been in contact with him. The reason?

Having dedicated his life on the court and following a hectic tour-level calendar, naturally, left little to no personal time for Rafa. But, his retirement meant he could now finally reap the rewards of his years-long hard work and, Alcaraz respected that. During a conversation with the Spanish publication, ‘Sport’, the 21-year-old spoke about his dynamic with the former World No. 1 and acknowledged the well-deserved break relished by Nadal, before commencing his Qatar Open campaign.

“Rafa and I have a very good relationship, but I haven’t spoken to him again since he retired from the Davis Cup. I think he deserves to be at peace with his family and enjoying the things that he couldn’t enjoy when he was playing,” he said. “He has been and is a great role model for me. I have seen that he has congratulated me on social media, but I have not yet had the chance to speak to him. I am sure that the time will come when I can do so.”

The former World No. 1, marred with injury concerns ever since sustaining a hip injury at the 2022 Australian Open, struggled to restore his A-game on the tour. Moreover, his valiant effort to clinch a final gold medal for his nation at the Paris Olympics in 2024 also came crashing after he suffered a premature exit at the quadrennial event.

Before Nadal drew the curtain on his career in front of his home crowd in Malaga, Alcaraz hoped to bid him farewell in the most fitting way. “No player deserves more to finish the incredible career he had with a title, and I know how special the Davis Cup is for him. It will be a difficult challenge but winning it for Rafa is a huge motivation.” Life post-retirement has been full of business commitments for Rafa.

Just days ago, reports showed fans that the Spanish icon sold nearly half his stake (44.9%) in his ‘Rafa Nadal Academy’ to a private investment company GPF for a lucrative $100M profit. Moreover, Nadal hasn’t appeared as a spectator at any tennis events since retirement. As for Alcaraz, the 21-year-old has his sights set on the big task.

Carlos Alcaraz on climbing the ATP ranking ladder – “Number one is always a goal”

Doors to claiming the World No. 1 spot were just opened for players. And, that’s an opportunity Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz won’t sleep on. The ATP ranking leader, Jannik Sinner, recently accepted a three-month doping suspension from the tour after coming to an agreement with WADA to seal his long-drawn doping controversy.

The Italian sensation twice tested positive for a banned substance in March last year, drawing acute backlash from the community. However, his absence means that arch-rival Alcaraz can regain his lost spot.

Talking in the same interview, Alcaraz, although refrained from talking about Sinner’s doping saga – “The truth is little to say. Whether it is or not, it does not influence us. We remain focused on ours and our goals” – talked about reclaiming the World No. 1 spot. “The number one is always a goal. As I say, that it’s not there doesn’t change anything for us. We try to improve in our own and focus on continuing to work to reach number one.”

Alcaraz will next take to the court on Monday, February 17. The top-seeded player is slated to lock horns with Marin Cilic in the Middle Eastern event’s Round of 32.