“Rafael Nadal will need to go to the limit” Alex Corretja believes the rise of Carlos Alcaraz will be ‘a big challenge’ for Rafa
Follow Us
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Alex Corretja
Carlos Alcaraz‘s rise in tennis continues to push the theory that he is the worthy successor of Rafael Nadal in not only Spanish Tennis but on the ATP Tour as well. The latest testament to that was seen in the 2022 Miami Masters finals when Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud in straight-sets to capture his first-ever Masters title and join Michael Chang and Nadal as the 3rd youngest Masters title winner.
With Alcaraz now only 29 points behind breaking into the Top-10 as he currently sits in the 11th spot, it doesn’t look like a long wait before the teenager is among the top-10 rankings on the ATP Tour. With the whole world in awe of the youngster, 2-time French Open runner-up Alex Corretja spoke about what does it mean for Nadal who is seeing his records challenged by the youngster and being challenged successfully.
“I think it is just perfect, it is sensational for Rafa because he is the biggest champion that we have ever had. Now he has a new kid that he knows what is going on in his mind, and Rafa will need to go to the limit to pass him and to beat him. This is perfect for him because it will lead Rafa to still improve his game. He will find ways to beat Alcaraz because he played against him in Indian Wells and suffered so much.
“He knows that he needs to play at his best to beat him. He is much older, but he has got much more experience. He is the best ever, especially on clay, but facing Carlos will be a big challenge for him. I think it is very good for him because he is going to be motivated to practise and to improve things to see how he can hurt Alcaraz or the other opponents,” said Corretja speaking on Eurosport.
“It is the best news we can have”: Alex Corretja on Carlos Alcaraz’s success
With the win in Miami, Alcaraz has been celebrated immensely by the tennis community as he looks to indeed be the ‘NextGen’ that will take over the reins of the Tour from the Big-3 who are now in the final few years of their careers.
“Being Spanish and both being great guys, both being very humble; and at the same time, seeing that the attention is with Rafa, but now he is sharing it with Alcaraz, I think he is going to enjoy it so much. Because Rafa is not jealous of Alcaraz. He knows that Alcaraz is great, but he still has so long to go in his career, and of course, one day hopefully Alcaraz will be close to Rafa.
“But, for the moment, he is only starting. So let’s go step-by-step, but this is huge for tennis, for Spanish tennis and overall for tennis itself. It is the best news we can have,” added Corretja who was happy to see another compatriot of his shining on the Tour.
Stay Updated!
Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)