Carlos Alcaraz grew up watching Rafael Nadal play and the Spaniard looked up to Nadal as an ideal of what he wanted to be one day.
Like many other Spanish kids, Alcaraz grew up watching Nadal. Everything he wanted to be one day was what Nadal was. A true champion, a beloved player, a competitor and a warrior. He called him his childhood idol recently in Buenos Aires.
He was my childhood idol, and he is the idol of all Spanish fans of tennis and sports in general because of his career, his charisma, his work, his mentality.
Alcaraz sought inspiration from any tennis great and he keenly followed both Federer and Djokovic in the past. Watching and analysing how their play is beneficial to Alcaraz as he adopted the fearless nature of how they play and their ambition.
The courage with which I play. I'm not afraid, it doesn't matter who's in front of me. That has been basic to achieve what I've already achieved. I've always taken it naturally to face the best. That ambition has made me who I am right now.
Buenos Aires will be the first event he plays since Paris. There are a lot of mixed emotions for Alcaraz but the desire is the same. He wants to win but he understands that it's going to be anything but easy.
It's going to be my first tournament since Paris. Four months have passed, but I always think about winning. I know it's not going to be easy after not competing for so long. I've come a few days before to train with good players and pick up that pace. I know my coach won here, and he has told me good things about the tournament.
0 Comments