"Carlos Alcaraz reminds me of the superiority Roger Federer showed" - Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni
Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni has drawn parallels between Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer.
Alcaraz made a name for himself at a very young age, winning his first Major at the 2022 US Open. He also became the World No. 1 by defeating the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal over the course of the year.
The young Spaniard won his third and fourth Masters 1000 titles at Indian Wells in March 2023 and in Madrid later.
In his first-person essay for El Pais, Toni Nadal noted that Alcaraz is in "excellent" physical and technical shape right now. He added that the 20-year-old reminded him of Federer's "irruption and superiority".
"He is full of confidence and in excellent shape, physically and technically. He reminds me of the irruption and superiority that Federer showed since the end of 2003 and, above all, in 2004," he wrote.
The veteran coach further stated that, just as everyone had to wait for the arrival of a younger generation to trouble Federer, he believes the same thing will happen to Alcaraz.
"So crushing was his invincibility that we had to wait for the arrival of a later generation for Roger to find himself in trouble. I sense that the same will happen, for a while, with Alcaraz," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz to face Novak Djokovic in 2023 French Open semifinals
Carlos Alcaraz is currently competing in the 2023 French Open, where he is aiming to win his second Grand Slam title and first on Parisian clay. He defeated Flavio Cobolli, Taro Daniel, Denis Shapovalov, and Lorenzo Musetti in the first few rounds to advance to the quarterfinals, where he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Alcaraz easily defeated the two-time Grand Slam finalist in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5), and advanced to the semifinals at Roland-Garros, where he will face Novak Djokovic on Friday, June 9.
There is a lot at stake in this highly anticipated match. The winner will not only advance to the final of the claycourt Major but have the World No. 1 ranking up for grabs.
If Alcaraz wins, he will leave Paris without being displaced from the top of the world rankings. If Djokovic defeats the Spaniard in the semifinal, he will be one match away from reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking and winning his 23rd Major title, surpassing his arch-rival Rafael Nadal in the men's Grand Slam record.