When Rafael Nadal predicted Carlos Alcaraz’s success
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Carlos Alcaraz needed only a few years to shift from a prominent youngster to the world’s best player. The young gun claimed his ninth ATP title in Barcelona on Sunday, defending the trophy won a year ago and following what Rafael Nadal achieved in 2005 and 2006.
Carlos had a chance to meet his compatriot and idol on his 18th birthday at the Madrid Masters two years ago. Nadal praised Alcaraz and called him the present and the future, recognizing what would happen in the upcoming years.
Born in 2003, Carlos was among the youngster to watch between 2019 and 2021, earning many milestones for his generation and building his way toward the top-100. A teenager claimed his first Futures title in July 2019 at 16 and played in the first Challenger quarter-final a couple of weeks later to make a name for himself ahead of 2020.
Everything worked well for the young gun at the beginning of that season. He conquered two Futures titles and secured his first ATP victory at the ATP 500 event in Rio. Alcaraz was ranked outside the top-300 when the season restarted in August, which was hardly an obstacle for him.
The youngster stormed over his rivals to claim three Challenger titles by the end of the season, entering the top-150 and setting high goals ahead of 2021. Led by a former world no. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos continued where he left in 2020.
The young gun qualified for the season’s first Major in January and became the youngest player with a victory at Majors since Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2014 a month later. Carlos gathered experience in Acapulco and Miami before finding the winning streak again at home in Marbella.
The home star beat Nikola Milojevic, Feliciano Lopez and Casper Ruud to become the youngest ATP semi-finalist since Alexander Zverev in 2014!
Rafael Nadal praised his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid in 2021.
After a well-deserved rest, a teenager suffered early losses in Barcelona and Estoril, hoping for a better run in Madrid and wishing to meet his idol in the second round.
As it would turn, Alcaraz ousted Adrian Mannarino in the first round in Caja Magica, becoming the youngest player with a win in Madrid and taking the record away from Rafael Nadal! Rafa and Carlos met in the second round on the youngster’s 18th birthday, and he suffered an injury in the early stages and failed to follow the rival’s pace.
Two years later, Carlos is world no. 2 and the defending champion in Madrid, fulfilling Nadal’s words and collecting records and achievements. “Carlos Alcaraz is a very young player with a great present and an even brighter future.
He has positive and appropriate values for today’s society. He can be a good example, and if he passes the first round and plays against me, it would be significant for him. All I can do is keep working and compete at my best level since the beginning of the tournament. I hope for a good start,” Rafael Nadal said.
Read More: When Rafael Nadal predicted Carlos Alcaraz’s success 2023-04-23 20:59:15