“Perhaps he can be a replacement” – Former Spanish tennis player Carla Suarez Navarro on Carlos Alcaraz filling the imminent void of Rafael Nadal

Former Spanish tennis player Carla Suarez Navarro recently spoke about countrymen and current No. 1 and No. 2 ranked players - Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.

In an interview with AS, the retired player spoke about the rise and dominance of the 19-year-old and opined that he could fill Rafael Nadal’s shoes once the veteran Spaniard retires.

“Young players are coming and it is lucky that we have Carlitos, we should enjoy him and I think he will give us a lot of success in the future; Perhaps he can be a replacement (to Rafael Nadal), because, obviously, Rafa continues, but we are in his last years,” she said.

When asked whether she believed that Alcaraz was the greatest young talent the sport has seen, Carla Suarez Navarro agreed that he was the most complete player for his age and admired his physical as well as mental strength.

“Yes, probably, he is a very complete player at his age. It is true that the players have a lot of room for improvement at 18 and 19 years old, Alcaraz does too, but he is very, very complete. And, when I say very complete, I mean on a tennis, physical and mental level. What I would highlight is his mental strength. At his age, he has saved match points in several of his titles. The team around him is also very important,” she observed.

At just 19-years-old, Alcaraz became the youngest World No. 1 in ATP history after he clinched his fifth title of the season at the US Open. Earlier in the year, Carlos Alcaraz won ATP 500 events at the Rio Open and Barcelona Open, as well as two Masters titles at the Miami Open and the Madrid Open.

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“We had many Spanish successes” - Carla Suarez Navarro on Carlos Alcaraz, Martin Landaluce and Martin de la Puente’s US Open run

Carlos Alcaraz wins the US Open

Carla Suarez Navarro also spoke about the future of Spanish tennis in the absence of Rafael Nadal, while speaking about her gig as a tennis commentator during the 2022 US Open.

The 34-year-old was ecstatic about the results that saw compatriots - Carlos Alcaraz win the men’s singles title, Martin Landaluce win the boys’ singles title and Martin de la Puente winning the wheelchair men’s doubles title alongside partner Nicolas Peifer.

“We had many Spanish successes. Above all, that of Carlos Alcaraz , but also that of Martín Landaluce in the junior category and that of Martín de la Puente in a wheelchair. They are guys who have been training hard to fulfil dreams like this and being able to tell about it on TV in my first US Open has been an unforgettable experience,” Carla Suarez Navarro remarked.