"If people compare you with Rafael Nadal, it means you are doing the correct things" - Carlos Alcaraz
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz recently spoke to the Tennis Channel about a variety of topics. The Spaniard first touched upon the comparisons between him and 20-time Major winner Rafael Nadal, before giving fans an insight into his relationship with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Alcaraz defeated Dusan Lajovic in straight sets on Wednesday to advance to the third round of the 2022 Australian Open. With his second-round win over the Serb, the Spaniard became the youngest male player to make the third round at the Melbourne Slam since Bernard Tomic in 2011.
Alcaraz the youngest man into the third round at the Australian Open since Bernard Tomic in 2011
The 18-year-old, who reached the quarterfinals of the US Open last year and won the Next Gen Finals, has achieved many feats in his young career so far, leading many to compare him to Spain's greatest-ever player Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz, however, admitted he was not dwelling on the comparisons.
"If the people compare you with Rafa, it means you are doing the correct things. I'm trying not to think about it, and just following my way," he said. "I want the people to know me as Carlos Alcaraz, that's it."
The 18-year-old also spoke in glowing terms about his experience on the ATP tour, claiming that he has learned a lot from his matches against top players like Nadal over the past year.
"First year on the ATP tour, I had to learn from the best tennis players in the world like Rafa, Zverev. I had great memories, great matches and moments," Alcaraz added. "I learned a lot and enjoyed every moment."
Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero also spoke to the Tennis Channel, praising the young Spaniard's skills and mindset and insisting that he could very well be a Grand Slam champion in the future.
"I saw him practicing with people when he was 14, 15, or 16, with people who had such a high level. And he was adapting his game to that game. The first moment that I saw him, I could see some of the differences with other players. Very dynamic, very aggressive, he likes to go to the net. He's not the typical Spanish style," Ferrero said.
"He believes he can win every match that he plays, so it's very important to be one of the best. He wants to do all the time, all the things, like, perfect. I think he has the chance to be a great player, one of the special ones, but of course, it's maybe too early to put on him that kind of pressure to win Grand Slams. But of course, I do believe that he can do it."
"I think that Juan Carlos [Ferrero] is very important for me, as a tennis coach and as a person" - Carlos Alcaraz
During the interaction, Carlos Alcaraz also gave his thoughts on his coach. The Spaniard insisted that Ferrero has been an integral figure in his career so far, revealing that he was "really friendly" and allowed him to have fun.
"I finished in the top 30, the results came with the hard work. I'm really glad to live these kinds of moments right now, I think that Juan Carlos is very important for me, as a tennis coach and as a person. He's really friendly, he likes to have fun with friends."
"We have a close relationship, he can help me a lot on the court and off the court. I'm a funny guy, I have a lot of friends here, I want to be happy all day with them, making them laugh, making jokes. I'm like this," the Spaniard added.
The Spaniard will now face seventh seed Matteo Berrettini for a place in the fourth round in Melbourne. He leads Berrettini 1-0 in the head-to-head, having gotten the better of the Italian in three sets at the Vienna Open last year.
Also check out: Updated ATP Men's Tennis Rankings