Carlos Alcaraz and his team were deeply moved after watching Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement video on 10 October, Thursday. Nadal revealed on social media that he would be retiring following the Davis Cup finals, where he has been selected to join the Spain squad alongside Alcaraz. It would mark the end of an extraordinary career for Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam titles.
Nadal’s journey has inspired many players, even in different spheres, including Alcaraz.A video uploaded by ATP Tour’s TennisTV shows the 21-year-old watching Nadal’s retirement announcement on his phone with his team members, all of whom appeared visibly emotional.
Alcaraz said that Nadal’s retirement came as a shock to him. The World No. 2 mentioned that it would be difficult for both Nadal’s fans and himself to come to terms with the fact that the 22-time Grand Slam champion will be leaving the sport.
“Well, it was, honestly, I couldn’t believe it when I watch it. You know, 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. But obviously when I watched it, it was tough to accept it. I was in shock a little bit. 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 Alcaraz.
“It is a really difficult thing, really difficult news for everybody, and even tougher for me. He has been my idol since I start playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become 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,” he added.
Alcaraz also mentioned that he looked forward to spending more time with Nadal during their upcoming exhibition event in Saudi Arabia and the Davis Cup.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, speaking after his win over Daniil Medvedev in Shanghai, said current crop of players should not be placed under pressure to replicate the achievements of Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“We cannot compare us with them, that’s impossible… They have been very consistent for years… not only one or two seasons, they made it for 15 years,” Sinner said. “What they have done over the years has been amazing. There are not many things to say about pressure, the pressure is always going to be there.
“They have been very consistent throughout years and years and years. There are a lot of things what we can take from them.
“I think we all were very lucky to see the Big Three playing tennis. I consider myself very lucky to get to know them also as people and to learn from them.”
Writing on X following Nadal’s announcement, the Italian said: “Thank you Rafa for everything you have given to the sport. “To have the chance to spend a few weeks training with you a few years ago is something I’ll never forget. To watch you work as an athlete but also get to know you as a person off the court was even more special. You will be missed on the tour!”
