"My style is more or less like Federer's" - Throwback to when 16-year-old Carlos Alcaraz said he modeled his game after the Swiss maestro
Carlos Alcaraz has drawn comparisons with Rafael Nadal due to the fact that he hails from Spain and has enjoyed tremendous success so early in his career. But in an interview back in 2020, the 18-year-old said he modeled his game after the Spaniard's fierce rival Roger Federer.
Speaking to Tennis TV in an interview ahead of his first ATP match, Alcaraz said he likes to be as aggressive as he can out on the court. The Spaniard also remarked that he likes to come to the net and hit drop shots, a tactic that Federer has used to great effect in his career.
"I like to play aggressively with a lot of winners. My style is more or less like Federer's, aggressively coming to the nets and playing drop shots, trying to do what Federer does," the Spaniard said.
"My style is more or less like Federer's"
Rewind to 2020, when we spoke to 16-year-old @alcarazcarlos03 ahead of his first-ever ATP match! https://t.co/aUt2s4zHso
Carlos Alcaraz is the only Spaniard to win the Miami Masters
Arguably the most talented teenager the game has seen since Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz has had a sensational season so far.
The Spaniard came into 2022 on the back of winning the Next Gen Finals after beating the likes of Holger Rune and Sebastian Korda.
His Australian Open campaign ended in a heart-breaking five-set defeat to Matteo Berrettini in the third round.
However, the disappointment Down Under was shortlived as Alcaraz bounced back immediately to win the Rio Open. The Spaniard gained his revenge on Berrettini by beating him in the quarterfinals, and also saw off the likes of Fabio Fognini and Diego Schwartzman en route to becoming the youngest winner of an ATP 500 tournament.
Alcaraz then sailed to the semifinals of Indian Wells, where he faced off against his idol Rafael Nadal. The teenager pushed the 21-time Slam champion to the limit, before falling to a three-set defeat.
Alcaraz bounced back strongly at Miami, where he defeated Marton Fucsovic, Marin Cilic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Miomir Kecmanovic and defending champion Hubert Hurkacz to reach the final.
The 18-year-old crushed Casper Ruud in straight sets in the title clash to become the first Spaniard to win the Miami Masters in the event's 37-year history.