The second-ranked tennis player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, recently expressed his desire to face fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
The 22-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion Rafael Nadal has struggled with injuries throughout his career. As a result of a recent hip injury, he was forced to withdraw from the ongoing Madrid Open.
Nadal suffered the injury in Australia earlier this year, missing important competitions like Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona as a result.
At 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old, Alcaraz is the youngest man to hold the top spot in the singles rankings as he approaches his 20th birthday. He is also the first teenager to finish first in the men’s rankings since the Open Era began.
Despite the fact that Alcaraz is favoured to win Roland Garros after winning on clay courts in Barcelona and Buenos Aires, he maintains that Nadal shouldn’t be discounted and sends him his best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Alexander Zverev of Germany was defeated by Alcaraz on Tuesday for the quarterfinal spot in Madrid. Alcaraz said, “Hopefully he will be in Rome and then at Roland Garros, where he will be a rival to beat.”
“A man who has won a tournament 14 times will always be challenging to beat in that tournament, even if he arrives without match rhythm, even though he hasn’t played since Australia. Tennis demands a competitive rhythm, so it’ll be challenging for him as well. However, Rafa is Rafa, and even if he shows up without having played many matches, he’ll undoubtedly perform at an incredible level, according to Alcaraz.
The young Spaniard is looking forward to Nadal’s return and is eager to keep picking Nadal’s brain.
Alcaraz said, “I say this as a player and as a tennis enthusiast. “It’s been unfortunate that we haven’t been able to watch him play in tournaments all these months.”
It is important to note that Alcaraz and Nadal have faced each other three times, with Nadal holding a two-victory advantage in their head-to-head record. Alcaraz triumphed over Nadal in their most recent meeting 6-2, 1-6, and 6-3.
