“He is the one who has the greatest ability to…,” Rafael Nadal explains why it’s tough for rivals to beat Carlos Alcaraz

Nadal feels that if Alcaraz continues to play like this, his opponents will find it tough to beat him. 

“He is the one who has the greatest ability to…,” Rafael Nadal explains why it’s tough for rivals to beat Carlos Alcaraz

Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz (Images via Imago)

Carlos Alcaraz has been winning the hearts of the tennis fraternity because of his three Grand Slam titles at the age of 21. His compatriot and tennis great Rafael Nadal explained what makes him a good player. 

Nadal last participated in the Roland Garros, which Alcaraz went on to win by beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final. The 14-time Roland Garros winner recently announced that he won’t play the Wimbledon Championships since his focus is to keep playing on clay and join Alcaraz for the Paris Olympics, which will take place after the event at SW19. 

In a recent interview, Nadal praised the young Spaniard for his Roland Garros win and for the way he is playing. The 38-year-old feels that if Alcaraz continues to play like this, his opponents will find it tough to beat him. 

I felt that if Carlos played at his level, without necessarily being incredibly good, he would be difficult to beat. He is the one who has the greatest ability to play in different ways. And on clay, that makes the difference: he can play aggressively, defend, reverse the course of the rally in different ways. The other players are incredible, but they have fewer options than him.
Rafael Nadal told L’Équipe

Nadal has met Alcaraz on the ATP Tour three times, winning two of the matches. The last time they met was in the 2022 Indian Wells Masters, which Alcaraz won in three sets. 

Rafael Nadal wants to be a good partner for Carlos Alcaraz in Paris Olympics

Rafael Nadal is the only active player to have won two gold medals in singles and doubles in the Olympic Games. He won his first gold, in singles, in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while the gold in doubles came in the 2016 Rio Olympics alongside Marc Lopez. 

Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Imago)

Nadal is currently struggling with form issues, which is evident from his recent defeats, including in the French Open where Alexander Zverev became the only fourth player to beat Nadal in Paris. All Nadal wants right now is to be well-prepared before he arrives at Roland Garros for the Olympics, possibly for the last time and be a good partner for Carlos Alcaraz. 

I haven't played doubles for a long time, but Carlos is in a fantastic moment after winning in Paris, so I will try to arrive as best as possible and as prepared as possible to be a good partner for him. 
Rafael Nadal said

Nadal has played five tournaments this season, losing in all without making it to the semifinals. His best performance came in the Brisbane International when he made it to the quarterfinals. 

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