When Rafael Nadal made his debut at the Madrid Open back in 2003 Carlos Alcaraz was only just born but now the two generations of Spanish players will clash in the tournament later this week.
17-year-old Alcaraz, who had risen 190 places in the ATP rankings since August, illustrated glimmers of his potential with a clinical win in the first round of the tournament on Monday. Taking on France’s Adrian Mannarino he raced to a 6-4, 6-0, win in just over 70 minutes. Winning 81% of his first service points and not facing a single break point throughout the encounter.
“For me this is amazing to play in front of a crowd, especially in Spain,” Alcaraz said following the match. “I have been coming to this tournament since I was young. I always wished to play here in Madrid. I’m really happy.”
The teenager has become the youngest player in history to have won a match in the tournament. Alcaraz is tipped by many as one of the brightest prospects in men’s tennis. Last season he won a trio of Challenger titles to become the second-youngest player in history to do so after Richard Gasquet. It was also during 2020 where he became the youngest player to win an ATP 500 match since the series began in 2009. This year he has already played in his first Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open and reached the semi-finals of the Andalucia Open.
Next up for the world No.120 in Madrid is a clash with his idol Nadal who is seeking to win the tournament for a sixth time in his career. The two had already praised each other in the past with the world No.2 once saying that Alcaraz ‘will have a great future because he’s a good guy, humble and a hard worker.’
“I’ve watched Rafa Nadal a lot. I always wished to play against Rafa and learn from him. I don’t know how to describe my feelings now,” Alcaraz reflected. “It is a dream come true. I will try to play my best and let’s see what happens.”
The upcoming showdown is also extra special for Alcaraz as it will take place on May 5th which is his 18th birthday. Something he describes as a ‘gift he will never forget.’
“It is special to turn 18 playing against one of the best in the history of tennis,” he told Spanish reporters. “It is a gift that I will never forget. There are many comparisons that will be made, the new generation with the legend … I will try to play what I’ve been playing and enjoy. I will be playing nervous, but at the same time as calm as possible.”
Alcaraz is coached on the Tour by former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. He names Pablo Carreno Busta as his ‘best friend’ on the Tour who Marin Cilic recently said he plays like. Although the youngster once described his style of play as ‘aggressively coming to the net and playing a lot of drop shots.’
Regardless of the outcome, the Spaniard hopes this week will nudge him closer to his year-end goal. Following his win over Mannarino, he is projected to rise to around 114th in the world.
“I try to improve in each tournament. Every match helps me to grow up as a player. I try to keep the best of each match and try to improve the bad things I did. I feel that I’m growing up in every tournament and I hope to end the season in the best 50.” Alcaraz concluded.
