Many have touted Carlos Alcaraz as the successor to Nadal and Carla Suarez Navarro could certainly see the Spaniard fill the void left over once Nadal retires.
Carla Suarez Navarro is a retired tennis player who hung up the racquet at the conclusion of last year. The former player stopped playing tennis due to a cancer diagnosis that derailed her career but she won that match and continues to live.
In an interview with AS, the retired athlete discussed the emergence and power of the 19-year-old Alcaraz and expressed the opinion that he could succeed Rafael Nadal after the seasoned Spaniard quits.
"Young players are coming and it is lucky that we have Carlitos, we should enjoy him and I think he will give us a lot of success in the future; Perhaps he can be a replacement (to Rafael Nadal), because, obviously, Rafa continues, but we are in his last years" explained Suarez Navarro joining compatriot David Federer who has similar views.
Although Alcaraz's playing style does not resemble that of Nadal, many Spaniards are accustomed to him because of his fiery competitive nature and his capacity to win rallies that appear to be unwinnable. It would facilitate a smooth transition for Spanish tennis as Nadal was very similar.
"Yes, probably, he is a very complete player at his age. It is true that the players have a lot of room for improvement at 18 and 19 years old, Alcaraz does too, but he is very, very complete" explained Suarez Navarro.
And, when I say very complete, I mean on a tennis, physical and mental level. What I would highlight is his mental strength. At his age, he has saved match points in several of his titles. The team around him is also very important." - concluded Suarez Navarro.