Nadal's successor

“Carlos Alcaraz has become, with the endorsement of his results and his game, not only in the great hope of Spanish tennis, but also in the natural replacement of Raphael”. The phrase I have borrowed from Toni Nadal, That was how his column of December 26 began in The country. The projection of the Murcian has not gone unnoticed in the circuit. In fact, the ATP awarded him the award of Revelation Player last season, an award voted by tennis players. In February 2020, Alcaraz already made headlines at the age of 16 when he achieved his first victory in his debut in a final draw, beating Albert Ramos, then 41 of the world, in Rio de Janeiro. A little less than a year has passed and the young pearl once again captures interest by surpassing the previous Australian Open. Alcaraz has obtained the passport to his first Grand Slam with 17 years, eight months and eight days. Alone Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Rafael Nadal more young people landed. Big words. His emergence illuminates the future of a Spanish tennis that even Nadal himself did not see clearly. “We need a relief,” he said after winning the Davis cup in 2019.

His emergence into the elite opens up some parallel debates. On the one hand, about pressure management at his age. Uncle Toni himself, who knows something about forging a star, opposes the creation of “a bubble” of protection around the athlete, because “all those who wish to stand out will have to endure a pressure that will accompany them during their career”. And also because he will have to live with “The inevitable comparison” with Nadal. In this sense, it is necessary to be cautious with expectations, because one thing is to aspire to win some Grand slam or to fight for number one as did his mentor, Juan Carlos Ferrero, something within the reach of very few, and quite another is to match Rafa, one of the best in history, perhaps the best, something only within the reach of the gods of sport.