Navratilova Believes Alcaraz Will Influence Others Same Way He Was Influenced By Nadal

Tuesday, 28 March 2023 at 16:00

Updated at Tuesday, 28 March 2023 at 14:48

byAlfredo Bassanelli

Carlos Alcaraz is impacting tennis history in the present but Martina Navratilova predicts an even bigger impact in the future.

Alcaraz is a grand slam champion with a couple of ATP 1000 trophies under his belt and he's not even 20 yet. It'll come in a few weeks but he's already one of the most successful under-20 players ever. It's not too far-fetched to predict a great future for him and Navratilova is doing just that. To her, we've already seen the impact of him on tennis as she revealed in a talk with the Tennis Channel.

I do see the knockdown effect already, more players using more drop shots. I think he will have an effect on the game, in players really seeing, 'I just cannot hit amazing forehands and backhands, I have to be an all-court player, I have to have the touch, I have to be brave, etc.

She thinks Alcaraz is a great role model for the next generation in part due to his own demeanor being heavily influenced by the likes of Federer and Nadal.

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I think he'll have a really good influence on the players the way he's been influenced by Rafa Nadal, in his demeanour and the way he plays. I think he will have the knockdown effect on other players, on both the women's tour and the men's tour.

Asked when she became sure of his success, Navratilova pointed to the Miami Masters the previous year when he proved to her that he has got what it takes. To her, he ascended at that event to the top of the tennis landscape which ultimately proved correct. For those who doubted him, well, the Madrid Masters was compelling evidence.

Last year, when he (Carlos Alcaraz) won this tournament, I put him up there with Medvedev, Djokovic, and Nadal, since Federer wasn't playing, in the Top-4 in a Major. I saw it.