Hours after Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis, his fellow Spaniard and fanboy Carlos Alcaraz lost his quarterfinal in the Shanghai Masters. Many felt that Nadal’s announcement affected Alcaraz and may have contributed to his loss, but the young player denies this theory.
In the press conference after losing to Tomas Machac, Alcaraz was asked whether Rafa’s news affected him. Denying the reason, the Spaniard stated that he was focused on the game and his countryman’s decision had no connection with his loss.
“It didn’t affect me at all before the match. I didn’t get distracted at all, I was just really focused on the match, I didn’t think about Rafa’s news. Thanks that I saw it like one hour before the match, so I had time to accept it and forget it a little bit before the match,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Carlos Alcaraz says Rafa Nadal’s retirement news was tough for him to accept, ‘He has been my idol since I started playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become a professional tennis player’
“Sorry for your loss today. We all heard the… pic.twitter.com/1gPM9GmtaC
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He then went on to describe how emotional it was for him to watch the video about the 22-time Grand Slam champion making the big announcement.
Alcaraz reacts to Nadal’s retirement announcement
He added that it was even tougher for him because Rafa has been his idol since the start of his tennis career and was also the reason he picked up the sport in the first place. However, since the two are going to play in the 6 Kings Slam and Davis Cup pretty soon, Alcaraz wants to enjoy as much time as possible with the tennis legend.
“He has been my idol since I started playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become a professional tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he’s going to play,” the young gun said.
This month, Alcaraz and Rafa will both compete in the 6 Kings Slam in Dubai. There is a high chance that the two might face each other on the opposite side of the court in the tournament. Next, these two will be a part of the Spanish team for the Davis Cup, where they might even play a doubles match together.
With the Davis Cup being Rafa’s final tournament in professional tennis and having Alcaraz by his side, it symbolizes a moment of transition in Spanish tennis. It’s an opportunity for fans to witness the king passing the throne to the prince.
