Baseless Rafael Nadal-Carlos Alcaraz Comparison by European Broadcasting Giant Irks Fans After Six Kings Slam Clash

With Rafael Nadal having announced his retirement from professional tennis, Carlos Alcaraz is considered to be the next torchbearer of Spanish tennis. Instead of viewing him as a threat to Rafa’s legacy, fans have grown to love Alcaraz and expect him to carry it forward. There is a saying that ‘comparisons are a thief of joy’ and Eurosport gave an example of the same in one of their recent Instagram posts.

Eurosport posted the head-to-head record between Nadal and Alcaraz. However, what was off about the stats was the inclusion of exhibition matches as well. As per tennis fans, that record stands at 2-1 still in favor of Nadal and will remain so as only professional ATP events must be counted in them.

So it seemed as if Eurosport either deliberately favored Alcaraz or they made this post to grab eyeballs because of the ongoing Six Kings Slam tournament. Whatever the reason, the post has left many disappointed.

On the ATP Tour, Nadal beat Alcaraz twice, at the 2021 Madrid Open and the 2022 Indian Wells tournaments respectively. However, in their last professional clash, Alcaraz was able to get the better of the 14-time Roland Garros champion, at the 2022 Madrid Open.

The Spanish duo then proceeded to face each other in two exhibition games and both were in the 2024 season itself. One was at the Netflix Slam in Las Vegas in March and the other was recently at the Six Kings Slam.

Nadal called Alcaraz ‘animal’ at Six Kings Slam

Alcaraz beat Nadal in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. After the match, Nadal admitted that in his current state, it wasn’t easy for him to play against Alcaraz but he gave his best and was happy with his own performance. He was candid enough in calling the 21-year-old an ‘animal’ too, which is interesting since Nadal himself has been called a ‘beast’ by many in his career.

“I think he will be very good, yes. Carlos has been playing very well, already doing fantastic in recent years, getting better and better. I’ve tried, I haven’t been in competition for a couple of months, so it was a good performance, although it wasn’t enough to face an animal like him,” said Nadal in the post-match presentation.

The two things that Spanish tennis and largely, culture thrives on (which are co-related actually), are tradition and respect. The student can defeat the master, but never think he or she is above them. Alcaraz is an embodiment of the same as was Nadal throughout his career.

Alcaraz has already been lauded for bringing Nadal’s ferocity and athleticism into his game, although he has imbibed elements of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic’s games too. It is fair to say that the Spanish legend, having played one final season in 2024 as well as in the Olympics alongside the reigning Wimbledon champion, helped him in his evolution.

The Six Kings Slam clash between the two was a spectacle and their reunion at the Davis Cup will be celebrated and remembered more rather than their short-lived head-to-head record.