Carlos Alcaraz makes his tennis aspirations clear as he names Rafael Nadal to take on as his coach
Carlos Alcaraz is set to face Shang Juncheng in the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.

Carlos Alcaraz (L), Rafael Nadal (R) (Sources: Imago/Instagram)
Rafael Nadal is arguably one of the greatest players in the history of tennis. His dominance on the international stage inspired a lot of kids across the globe, particularly in his nation, Spain, to dream of becoming a tennis player.
Carlos Alcaraz was one of those kids who not only saw but also realized that dream with his hard work. The 20-year-old is considered to be the perfect successor to Rafael Nadal to represent Spain in tennis.

Recently, the youngster was asked an interesting question in a casual interview with Babolat. The Spaniard was asked who, between Dominic Thiem, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Rafael Nadal, he would choose as his opponent, partner, and coach.
Alcaraz said that he will choose Thiem as his opponent, Felix Auger as his partner, and Rafael Nadal as his coach.
He said that although he would love to team up with Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner will probably do better as his coach, as the youngster will surely benefit from his vast level of experience.
He will be a good partner but i’ll have to choose Rafael Nadal as a coach. I mean, from his experience, I think I can learn a lot from him.He said
The World No. 2 is currently playing in the 2024 Australian Open, and so far he has done exceptionally well. He won his first match against Richard Gasquet in straight sets and his second match against Lorenzo Sonego in four sets. He will now take on Shang Juncheng in the third round of the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz gave a shoutout to Rafael Nadal during the Miami Open
Back at the 2023 Miami Open, Carlos Alcaraz said that growing up, he looked up to Rafael Nadal, and he was one of his biggest inspirations. Apart from that, the youngster said that he played for his family to make them proud.

I'm playing for my family, my team. Someone I looked up to when I was younger was Rafa Nadal. Trying to make impossible shots, impossible passes, it's all for him. Right now, I'm playing for my dad, to make him proud, my grandfather and my whole family, trying to make them proud of me.He said.
Carlos Alcaraz has faced Rafael Nadal three times in his career so far. Two of those matches were won by Nadal, while Alcaraz defeated his idol once.
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