From what the videos and photos suggest, Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying his time in Saudi Arabia. Participating in the Six Kings Slam and visiting the country with his fellow ATP players has led to Alcaraz constantly smiling.
The 21-year-old has also seemingly made a conscious decision to cherish the final moments of Rafael Nadal’s professional career. As seen in the semifinal clash against his compatriot, there were many moments where Alcaraz behaved like Rafa’s fanboy.
The four-time Grand Slam champion is one of the most popular players in tennis right now. However, there was a recent occasion where he didn’t have the most attention on him.
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Nadal received all the spotlight even after his press conference concluded. Seeing all the media personnel make their way to the Mallorca native resulted in Alcaraz being in awe of his idol’s popularity.
Alcaraz’s genuine happiness for the legend left tennis fans impressed. Social media blew up with users praising the youngster for his reaction to Nadal being in the limelight. Fans called him a true Rafa fan and lauded him for letting the 22-time Grand Slam winner take center stage.
Alcaraz, always smiling and respectful. pic.twitter.com/Hv3IANPTlY
— Wide World of Tennis (@tennisfan_dkr) October 19, 2024
Alcaraz letting Nadal take centrestage during media day could be one of the highlights of the 6 Kings Slam! pic.twitter.com/26dZlRQQ1q
— Wide World of Tennis (@tennisfan_dkr) October 19, 2024
The El Palmar native was also selfless when he allowed the “loser” Nadal to receive more screen time during the interview after their semifinal match.
Nadal was interviewed first despite his loss against Alcaraz
Ideally, only the winner of a tennis match is invited to be interviewed on-court. However, after suffering a 3-6, 3-6 defeat, Nadal was asked to join Alcaraz in the on-court interview.
Before the interview began, Alcaraz was asked if he’d be alright with the “loser” being questioned first. The youngster instantly requested the British broadcaster, Andrew Castle, to refrain from using the word.
Andrew Castle: “Mind if I start with the loser”
Carlos Alcaraz: “Don’t talk like that, don’t talk like that”
Rafael Nadal: “Better than the other”
— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) October 18, 2024
Alcaraz also paid his respect to his countryman through an emotional social media post.
It was a privilege to play against Rafa one last time! ❤️ Once again, thank you for your legacy and for being an inspiration to all of us! See you very soon in Malaga, but this time both wearing the colours of @RiyadhSeason
Getty pic.twitter.com/WH99KWgaWx
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) October 17, 2024
Fans can expect Carlos and Rafa to provide the tennis community with more such wholesome interactions during the upcoming Davis Cup 2024 finals. With next month’s tournament marking Nadal’s final professional competition, tennis enthusiasts everywhere will be glued to their screens to witness the retiring legend in action one last time.
