There is a serious chance we won't see Rafael Nadal in tennis for much longer, but Carlos Alcaraz doesn't want to imagine it.
The experienced Spaniard was already breaking through in tennis before Alcaraz was even born. Since he remembered the sport, Nadal was there. Alcaraz, like many of his contemporaries, doesn't know tennis without the 22-time major winner, but it will come one of these days, possibly quicker than anticipated.
It's not something fans want to see, especially Alcaraz, who hails from Spain and knows very well how much Nadal means for tennis in general and Spanish tennis in particular. He spoke about it at the Madrid Open, admitting that he doesn't want to imagine tennis without Rafa.
"I don't want to imagine it (tennis without Rafael Nadal) yet. Like every fan of Rafa, of tennis, no one wants to imagine the circuit without Rafa. Personally speaking, I want to enjoy Rafa as much as possible, every time he enters the court, every time he can compete."
Luckily for all tennis fans, it's not going to happen in the coming days. Hopefully, there will be a few more months with Nadal. He's in action this week, and he started pretty well.
There are some big events coming up, and the 37-year-old is working towards being at his best when those come. As someone who has been in those locker rooms, Alcaraz admitted that he knows what Nadal feels and what drives him forward. For the time being, as a fan, he'll just enjoy every time he gets to see that.
"I know that's what he wants and what excites him, to feel competitive and try to win. Every time he can do it, I'm going to be there to enjoy it. That's what we have to think about, not about the afterlife. but to live in the moment."
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