"Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev were the ones that impressed me the most during training" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz recently revealed that Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev are the players he finds most impressive during training sessions.

Speaking to the media after his win over Kwon Soon-woo at the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz was asked to name players he has been impressed by during training.

In response, the teenager explained that he finds it difficult to get "surprised" in training since he is well-versed with most players on tour. However, Alcaraz admitted to being taken aback by Rafael Nadal's sheer quality. He further added Russian Andrey Rublev to the list of players that have left him amazed during practice.

"The truth is that it is very difficult for me to surprise myself because I know almost all the players on the circuit, but if I have to highlight something, I remember the first time I trained with Rafa, he surprised me a lot," Carlos Alcaraz said. "In the end, the first time you train with a player, some things about his game always surprise you, but I would say that Rafa and Rublev were the ones that impressed me the most."

Fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz will next take on countryman Jaume Munar in the Round of 16 at the Barcelona Open on Thursday.

"The change from hardcourt to clay is always complicated" - Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz secured his first-ever victory at the Barcelona Open by beating Kwon on Wednesday. He explained to the media that it was special to play at the event he had been watching since a young age.

"Very happy to get this first victory here at Godó," Carlos Alcaraz said. "It is very special to play here as I have been watching this tournament since I was little and I feel very lucky to be able to win here."

Alcaraz was then asked to elaborate on how far along he is in the process of adapting to the clay after months of hardcourt tennis. While admitting that the transition to clay from hard is not straightforward, the teenager insisted that he has managed to find his footing quite quickly.

"The change from hard court to clay is always complicated, you have to add hours on the court and it is very important to be very clear about how you have to play," he said. "I'm at a point where I feel comfortable on clay and I already know what my strategy is when playing on this type of court."

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Also Check Out :-Barcelona Open 2022 Schedule