Alcaraz Explains Why He Hasn’t Spoken With Nadal Since His Davis Cup Retirement
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Carlos Alcaraz recently revealed that he and Rafael Nadal haven't spoken since the legend's retirement at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.
In a way, it was Alcaraz who sent Nadal into retirement. The four-time Grand Slam champion stood on the tennis court when Spain lost their doubles match to the Netherlands. Alcaraz played with Marcel Granollers, and the duo couldn't send their country past the Dutch team.
Since then, Alcaraz has returned to competing for the biggest trophies, while Nadal enjoys his time as a father in retirement. The 38-year-old now has a chance to explore a completely different way of living, and he's been doing that. Nadal recently shared that he hasn't touched his racket since retiring.
And it seems that disconnecting from tennis is something that the 14-time French Open winner really wants to do after his career. Alcaraz confirmed that in a recent interview with the Spanish publication Sport as well.
The 21-year-old player admitted that he hasn't spoken to Nadal since his retirement at last year's Davis Cup. Alcaraz knows that Nadal probably wants to enjoy time with his family and avoid thinking about tennis, which is why the two haven't been in contact.
However, Alcaraz believes that sooner or later, they will connect again. The ATP World No. 3 player sees Nadal as an inspiration and a role model.
"Rafa and I have a very good relationship, but I haven't spoken to him again after his withdrawal from the Davis Cup. I think he deserves to be at peace with his family and enjoy the things he couldn't when he was playing."
"For me, he has been and still is a great role model. I saw that he congratulated me on social media, but I haven't had the chance to talk to him yet. I'm sure the time will come to do so."
Alcaraz also spoke about his tennis ahead of the ATP 500 event in Doha. One thing he could learn from Nadal is the 22-time Grand Slam champion's incredible mental resilience.
The 21-year-old player sometimes struggles to stay focused throughout the match, but he admitted it's something that he's been working on. Alcaraz wants to be a mentally strong player.
He revealed that this part of his game has been his main focus in recent weeks. He tries to understand the matches better in order to avoid the inconsistent swings that he used to have.
"Little by little, it's coming out more naturally. I need to learn to establish a match pattern, try to follow it, and know when to use instinct to try different things—to experiment and see what happens. As I always say, some things can't be trained; they just happen in the moment."
"I try to find a pattern to stay focused and look for opportunities to hit different shots at the right moments. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but in the end, tennis is about points, and if you can stay mentally strong, you can forget about mistakes and quickly move on to the next one."
