22-time major champion reflects on Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win
Rafael Nadal says Alcaraz “is going to be one of the best in history.”
Rafael Nadal was all smiles after partnering with Casper Ruud for a first-round doubles victory on Monday in Bastad.
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won his fourth major title on Sunday at Wimbledon, and the next day, his countryman Rafael Nadal gave the 21-year-old a strong endorsement.
“My impression is we are talking about a player that is going to be one of the best [in] history. That’s my feeling,” Nadal said after partnering with Casper Ruud to a first-round doubles victory at the Nordea Open in Bastad. “[He is] a player with huge potential. Life can change quickly, that’s the truth. You never know what can happen in the future. But today, if we have to predict what’s going on in his career, we predict amazing things.”
This isn’t the first time Nadal, a 22-time major champion, has praised Alcaraz. The two Spaniards are set to compete together in doubles at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
On Monday in Sweden, Nadal elaborated on why he believes so strongly in the two-time Wimbledon champion, who also won this year’s Roland Garros.
“His level of tennis is super high,” Nadal said. “If he is able to stay away from injuries, of course, Sinner is there. But I see him with Sinner over the rest today without a doubt. I don’t see a lot of players that can stop him on Tour, and I think the best thing that he has today is that in every tournament he plays, it doesn’t matter the surface, he is going to be the favorite.”
Nadal explained that in his generation, he was typically the favorite on clay, while early in his career, grass was Roger Federer’s domain, and hard courts were split between Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“But no one player was the favorite before every tournament, and today I feel that he has that aura, that feeling,” Nadal said of Alcaraz. “That’s a big advantage because I think he feels that if he’s playing at his level, it’s difficult for somebody to beat him.”
Nadal, competing in the Bastad event for the first time since 2005 when he won the title as a 19-year-old, reflected on his career. He will begin his singles tournament on Tuesday against fellow wild card Leo Borg, the son of former world No. 1 Bjorn Borg. It will be their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
“When you are 19 or 18 or 17, when I came here for the first time, I remember coming here and just playing with friends like Juan Monaco, Carlos Moya, Zabaleta, playing PlayStation, going for dinner, a little bit of a party later. Different things,” said Nadal, who now owns 1,075 tour-level wins according to Infosys ATP Stats. “When you are 38, life changes a little bit, and you appreciate how beautiful the place is. I even didn’t remember how beautiful the place is when I came here now.
“I can tell you that when you are a little bit older, you get more interested in things. You are more interested in going around a little bit, walking next to the sea, knowing more about the village. Last time I was here, I was just 19, so it’s a different world, I can tell you.”
