I haven't talked a lot with Rafael Nadal but he's my idol, says 'Baby Nadal' Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal was arguably the most successful teenager in the history of men's tennis. He won his first tour-level match at the age of 16, and by 19 was a Roland Garros champion already.
Comparisons with Rafael Nadal for talented young players are inevitable. But for 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the title of "Baby Nadal" is a matter of both prestige and inspiration.
Rafael Nadal is my idol for his attitude and passion: Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz spoke at length recently about Rafael Nadal, who he described as his 'idol' - not because of any mentorship or interaction, but solely for the World No. 2's character.
"I haven’t talked a lot with Rafa, but he’s my idol because of his character, attitude and the passion he has for tennis," Alcaraz said.
Carlos Alcaraz marked an important career moment on the courts of Rio earlier this year, where he defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round. Aged just 16 then, Alcaraz became the youngest player to win on the men's tour since 2013 - and the youngest Spaniard to do it since Rafael Nadal himself.
Alcaraz is coached by another compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero. The former World No. 1 has claimed that although comparisons with Rafael Nadal may be very flattering for Alcaraz, his game resembles that of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer more.
In an interaction with the ATP Tour website earlier this year, Ferrero had said:
"If I have to say someone that I can compare him to, it’s the game of Novak Djokovic or maybe Roger Federer. They like to be aggressive from the baseline and they can go to the net to finish the point."
Ferrero also spoke about how comparisons with the likes of Rafael Nadal could make it difficult for Alcaraz to keep his feet firmly on the ground.
"Of course, the comparison is going to be there because for people here in Spain, it’s been a long time that we haven’t had anyone at the age of 16 or 17 [playing] this kind of level. But the team that is around him, we have to try to [keep a circle] around him to help him try to put this pressure away, to make him calm, to keep things normal, so he can go his own way," Ferrero said.
Another thing that 'Baby Nadal' shares in common with the 19-time Slam champion is his love for golf. Rafael Nadal has claimed many times that golf is one of his favorite hobbies, even competing in the Balearic Golf Championship recently.
When asked what he wanted to improve most about himself, the 17-year-old Alcaraz said:
"My golf game… and I want to reach a very good English level."