Rafael Nadal's Barcelona Open absence a "shame", says Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz considers Rafael Nadal's absence at the ongoing Barcelona Open a big loss, as he wants to see the best players play in every tournament.
Alcaraz joined compatriot Nadal in pulling out of the recently concluded Monte-Carlo Masters, both due to injuries -- the former with a hand injury and the latter with a hip issue. While Alcaraz, the defending champion in Barcelona, has recovered ahead of the ATP 500 event, the 22-time Grand Slam champion hasn't.
Nadal has not played any competitive tennis since the Australian Open, where he sustained the aforementioned injury in a second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald. With his absence on tour continuing, Carlos Alcaraz wished his childhood idol a speedy recovery and expressed hope of seeing him rejoin the action soon.
"I always want to see the best players in each tournament. It's a shame not to be able to enjoy his tennis with all that he has achieved and I wish him a speedy recovery," Carlos Alcaraz said to the press ahead of his Barcelona Open campaign.
Alcaraz also touched on his budding rivalry with Jannik Sinner, acknowledging that the duo put on a show every time they took to the court. The pair most recently met in the semifinals of the Miami Open, where the Italian prevailed in three blockbuster sets.
Alcaraz hopes to have a kind of rivalry with Sinner similar to that of the Big-3 - fiercely competitive on the court yet very friendly off it.
"We're both very young and we've fought for great things, and every time we play it's a lot of fun to watch. I hope to have the same rivalry with Sinner that has existed between the 'Big Three.' With Jannik, we also get along very well off the track," Alcaraz said.
"What I'm learning is that you have to take care of yourself on and off the track" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz also spoke about his penchant for injuries, which has seen him miss several big tournaments in the last few months -- the 2022 ATP Finals, the 2023 Australian Open and the Monte-Carlo Masters, among others.
The World No. 2 admitted that he is learning the importance of taking care of himself. Nevertheless, Alcaraz is confident ahead of his Barcelona Open campaign, having practiced with the likes of Denis Shapovalov and Casper Ruud already.
"I have trained with Shapovalov and Ruud and it has gone very well for me. I need the rhythm of the competition, to play points and with these players I can do it," Carlos Alcaraz said. "What I'm learning is that you have to take care of yourself on and off the track. You have to do everything perfectly so that injuries don't come."
In his opener, Alcaraz will take on either Ilya Ivashka or Nuno Borges.