Carlos Alcaraz recently made his feelings known about learning valuable lessons from Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz is currently gearing up to compete at the French Open.
Alcaraz was last seen in action at the Italian Open, where he delivered a remarkable performance to claim the title. He toppled top-notch players, including Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti and more, to reach the final. In the title clash, he beat top seed Jannik Sinner 7-6(5), 6-1.
He will next be seen squaring off against Kei Nishikori in the first round of the French Open on May 25. Amid this, he recently sat for a conversation with The Tennis Letter, where he opened up about everything that he learned from Rafael Nadal. Calling him exceptional, he said:
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"His way of playing, his attitude on the court, his mentality, his love for the game. Rafa is an exceptional person, very humble."
He revealed that while playing with him, he learned how to handle the pressure. Calling Nadal one of the 'best ambassadors of tennis,' he added:
"His approach to a match, the passion with which he plays each match and how he prepares for it. Playing doubles with him, I also learned how he handled certain situations and pressure. These are things that will be very useful to me throughout my career. He was one of the best ambassadors for tennis, and I think his legacy will be eternal. He was probably one of the players who put tennis at the top of the sport, at the top of the world. So it's great to have had Rafa in tennis and at this time in my life.”
Alcaraz and Nadal played doubles together at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Rafael Nadal opened up about his take on Carlos Alcaraz being criticized for being an unprofessional player
A recent Netflix documentary, 'Carlos Alcaraz: My Way,' showcased the Spaniard's life and his mindset for the sport. One of the most highlighted parts of the series was him taking a three-day trip to Ibiza ahead of the 2024 grass court season. Alcaraz received a lot of criticism and was questioned about his commitment to the sport.
While he was called unprofessional by a lot of critics, Rafael Nadal shared his point of view, stating that Alcaraz's approach to the sport was not portrayed in the right way in the series. Opening up about the latter's true character, he sat for a conversation with L'Equipe, where he said:
"I think there's this debate because the documentary released on Carlos seemed to reflect this. However, knowing Carlos a little, I think the documentary doesn't reflect his personality or the way he lives his career. He doesn't come across as a tennis player who trains, but as someone who likes to party, who needs it, who isn't very professional. It's just not true," Nadal said.
Carlos Alcaraz opened his 2025 season by competing at the Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals. He was bested by Novak Djokovic, who defeated the Spaniard in four sets.
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