Carlos Alcaraz believes he has his work cut out to fill the void left by Rafael Nadal, who officially retired from tennis on Tuesday at the age of 38.
Alcaraz and Nadal participated in Spain’s Davis Cup tie against the Netherlands which they lost 1-2. Coming into the event, the 22-time Grand Slam champion confirmed it will be the last tournament of his career. His final match was against Botic van de Zandschulp who beat Nadal in straight sets.
Alcaraz, who won the second match of the tie before losing in the doubles, credits his compatriot for inspiring him to take up tennis. At the age of 21, he has already established himself as a dominant figure in the sport by winning 16 ATP titles, including four majors. He has also held the No.1 ranking for 36 weeks so far in his career.
As for the future, Alcaraz has played down suggestions that he is the heir to Nadal. In the past, he has spoken out about creating his own piece of history instead of following in the shadows of his childhood idol.
“I think that he was one of the best ambassadors for tennis,” he said of Nadal.
“His legacy is going to be eternal. He has been great for tennis, for this sport in general.
“I don’t want to think that I should continue the legacy that he has left. It is difficult, almost impossible. I will try to do my best, but right now it’s time to say just great things about Rafa and what he has done during his career.
“The way he left tennis, it is incredible. Probably he was one of the players that put tennis in the top of sport in the top of the world.
“So it is just great to have had Rafa in tennis and in this period in my life.”
Whilst the tie was all about saying farewell to Nadal, Alcaraz believes it has also helped him grow as a player due to the pressure he faced. If he had lost his singles match, the team would have been eliminated from the event regardless of the doubles result. It was the first time he had been in such a situation.
“This new experience will help me a lot to grow up as a player, as a person,” Alcaraz commented.
“This experience is going to be really helpful for my future, for my career, playing with the pressure that I have to win.
“I love playing doubles. 1-All, everything is decided in the doubles. A lot of difficult points. A lot of tense moments that for sure is gonna help me a lot in my career.
“I always try to enjoy every time that I play at home in Spain. These kinds of moments, it is going to be remembered for the rest of my life and it is really helpful for me.”
Meanwhile, Nadal says he has a ‘peace of mind’ concerning his legacy. He took to the court late at night to address the Malaga crowd. A video tribute was played inside the stadium featuring messages from many big names of the sport, such as Novak Djokovic who said “I have been very honoured and thrilled to be called your rival”.
“I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,” Nadal said.
“I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.”
Embed from Getty Images
