Unwilling to be Nadal’s successor! Expressing dissatisfaction, Alcaraz: I hate being compared to Nadal

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Carlos Alcaraz expresses discomfort with constant comparisons with Rafael Nadal, prefers to avoid discussing the topic

　　Young Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz has admitted that the constant comparisons with the legendary Rafael Nadal are uncomfortable.

　　Earlier this year, the 20-year-old superstar became the talk of the tennis world for his unforgettable five-set final win at the Wimbledon Championships over Serbian legend Novak Djokovic, now the world’s No. 1-ranked player, 1-6, 7-6(8-6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

　　However, having also graduated from Nadal’s tennis academy, Alcaraz has often been compared to fellow predecessor Nadal.

　　Recently, during a question-and-answer session with fans, Alcaraz, who is now ranked No. 2 in the world, admitted that the constant comparisons with the legendary player are becoming irritating. He said, “It’s not annoying, but I would say the comparisons with Rafael (referring to Nadal) are annoying.”

　　

　　Often hailed as one of the greatest players of all time, Nadal has now won 22 Grand Slam titles in his career. Of those, 14 have come at the French Open, which is why he is known as the “King of Red Clay”. On the other hand, Alcaraz is just starting his career and has already won two Grand Slam titles.

　　However, his joy after winning Wimbledon earlier this year didn’t last long as he suffered a string of bad results. First, at the Canadian Open, he was unlucky to be eliminated from the tournament after losing to American Tommy Paul 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 in the quarterfinals.

　　

　　Then, in the final of the Cincinnati Open (Southwest Open), Alcaraz lost the title to his old rival Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 6-7, 6-7.

　　And at the recent U.S. Open, the Murcia-born player was in the process of defending his title, but ultimately failed to do so after losing to world No. 3 Russian Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6.

　　Of course, despite these losses, the young Alcaraz should be satisfied with his overall performance this year, having reached the semifinals or beyond in all three Grand Slam tournaments he has played.