Former ATP player and tennis analyst Alex Corretja believes that Carlos Alcaraz is replacing the 'old king' Rafael Nadal with the new one, himself.
The 20-year-old is undoubtedly the future of Spanish tennis but not just Spanish tennis. He's also the future of tennis and even his currently biggest rival, Novak Djokovic said it.
The Spaniard is already one of the biggest stars in the game, and he can grow his popularity even further. For former player Alex Corretja, he's the one to take over once these legendary players retire.
According to Corretja, who spoke to Eurosport, Alcaraz is going to be the new king after replacing the old king, Rafael Nadal. That's when it comes to Spain, but will he secure the overall crown? Well, he wants to.
"If you see the results, he’s been winning matches like all the legends do, [Novak] Djokovic, Nadal, [Roger] Federer. So, the comparisons are understandable. Here in Spain, we had Rafa, so expectations were very high and now we have 'Carlitos', so it is like we are changing the king."
Having Alcaraz emerge right now is amazing for Spanish tennis because there is a sort of void to be filled. Nadal is still kicking around, but he's been struggling with injuries, and that's when the youngster stepped up.
"Yes, we still have Rafa to come back, but we are so blessed to have Carlitos as he brings always so much emotion into the game, he always smiles."
"And he's more like a new generation, new generation because they want everything for now, everything has to be faster and that’s the way Carlitos plays, so I would say it is all adjusted to the modern era."
We'll see whether the youngster will get to meet with Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open. That would let us know who the present is.