Practicing with Roger Federer at Wimbledon was a unique experience: Carlos Alcaraz
17-year-old rising star Carlos Alcaraz recently gave his thoughts about his practice session with Roger Federer that took place during the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. It has been well over a year since the incident occurred but the Spaniard remembers it fondly, and he even labeled it a "unique experience".
While speaking to Tennis Majors, Carlos Alcaraz was asked if he has ever got a chance to practice with Rafael Nadal. The teenager answered in the negative and instead recalled his practice session with Roger Federer from last year’s Wimbledon.
Alcaraz described in detail his overall experience of practicing with the Swiss legend, from which he claims he "learnt a lot".
“With Rafa no, but I have practiced with Federer at Wimbledon,” Alcaraz said. “It went extremely well, it was a unique experience for me. I was very pleased afterwards and I learnt a lot. At the beginning I was a bit nervous since a lot of people were watching us, but as the practice went on, I started to relax more and ultimately I enjoyed it very much.”
Carlos Alcaraz is a talented youngster from Spain who recently won the 'ATP Newcomer of the Year' Award. The Spaniard is currently ranked 141 in the world, after a remarkable season that saw him climb more than 300 ranking spots.
Alcaraz is a long-time admirer of Rafael Nadal. However, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero believes his ward’s game has similarities with that of Roger Federer's.
Like the Swiss, Alcaraz is an attacking player who thrives in the forecourt area. He would have undoubtedly paid close attention to Federer’s prowess at the net when the two practiced together at Wimbledon.
Look forward to seeing Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic in the locker rooms: Carlos Alcaraz
During the interview, Carlos Alcaraz was also asked if he could pinpoint a single match that made him fall in love with the game. In response, the Spaniard remarked that he never missed any of the epic clashes between the legendary trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“I do not remember a particular match but, as most boys my age, I have watched the classics between Nadal, Federer and Djokovic,” Alcaraz continued.
Like all rising stars, Carlos Alcaraz is looking forward to watching the Big 3 from closer quarters when the bigger tournaments come his way.
“Of course, I look forward to seeing them in the locker rooms when I start playing the biggest tournaments,” the Spaniard added.