“I couldn’t miss a point”- Carlos Alcaraz reflects on Rafael Nadal’s epic Australian Open victory

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz

In one of the greatest finals in the Open era, Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev at the 2022 Australian Open to lift a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title. The Spaniard looked down and till the third set having lost the first two sets, and Medvedev was in prime position to win his second Grand Slam title in a row. But Nadal scripted an astonishing comeback to get the better of the Russian in a grueling 5 hours and 24 minutes. With this win, Nadal broke the three-way tie he held with Federer and Djokovic in terms of Grand Slams and is ahead of the pack with 21 Majors

Carlos Alcaraz is still mulling over the epic final. In a recent interview with the Spanish media outlet, Marca- Alcaraz said he couldn’t even miss a point and was ‘glued to the television’ during the title clash.

“I was glued to the television. In the fifth set I hadn’t eaten and I was home alone with my brother. During breaks, I went to the kitchen to prepare food for myself and my brother. When they started I would run to the TV and so on all the time. I couldn’t miss a point,” he said.

Touted to be one of the Next Gen stars, Carlos Alcaraz is already being considered as the successor to Rafael Nadal. The young Spaniard is making waves on the ATP circuit having made his senior debut just two years ago. With immense potential and maturity far beyond his years, it seems like a matter of ‘when’ he will dominate the top echelons rather than ‘if’ he can, for Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz’s season so far

Alcaraz started his 2022 season with a third round of the Australian Open this year, despite not playing any other lead-up tournaments. The teenager was the youngest player in the main draw and put on a brave fight against 7th seed Matteo Berrettini in the third round, but eventually lost in a thrilling 5 set encounter.

Rio 2020: 16-year-old Alcaraz wins first-ever ATP match

Rio 2022: 18-year-old Alcaraz becomes youngest ever ATP 500 champion

The story has only just begun for @alcarazcarlos03 ? pic.twitter.com/KcWkyyR4vI
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 20, 2022

In his next tournament at the Rio Open, Alcaraz bagged his maiden ATP 500 title. En route to the finals, he defeated top seed Matteo Berrettini and got the better of Diego Schwartzman in the title clash to become the youngest champion in ATP 500 tournaments. As a result, he debuted in the top-20 of the ATP rankings. With already a title in the bag, Alcaraz will be looking to have a good outing at the Indian Wells, which is one of the last hardcourt tournaments before the clay-court swing commences in April.