"Rafael Nadal is going to have an unmatched career" - Carlos Alcaraz being called a replacement for Spaniard 'not fair,' says Roberto Bautista Agut

Roberto Bautista Agut has firmly rejected the idea of Carlos Alcaraz being a suitable replacement for Rafael Nadal following his retirement.

Nadal is set to make his long-awaited comeback at the ATP 250 Brisbane International, which is scheduled for December 31-January 7. Yet, given his prolonged absence and recurring injury issues, the Spaniard has touched on the possibility of 2024 being his last year on tour.

In light of this, Roberto Bautista Agut was recently asked whether Carlos Alcaraz was the 'best possible replacement' for the 22-time Grand Slam champion. However, Bautista Agut dismissed the notion, emphasizing that Nadal would have an unparalleled career when he hung up his racquet, making all talk of replacing him unfair.

"I think that talking about replacing Rafa is not fair either. Rafa is going to have an unmatched, brutal career, he is a special player," he told Marca (Translated from Spanish).

The 35-year-old also touched on the prevalent comparisons between Alcaraz and the 'Big 3' of men's tennis - Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nadal. While Bautista Agut expressed his hope for the 20-year-old to achieve similar longevity and success on the tour, he cautioned against making such comparisons.

"We should not make comparisons with the 'Big Three'. It is clear that Carlos is also one of the chosen ones, that he has many qualities and I hope he has a career as long-lasting and successful as theirs," he said.

"He has powers, but then it has to be done. Races have to be managed well, work well and be well surrounded to do what Rafa, Federer and Djokovic have done," he added.

"Rafael Nadal is ready for great things this year" - Carlos Alcaraz

Mutua Madrid Open - Day Nine

Carlos Alcaraz recently squared off against Novak Djokovic in an exhibition match at the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup in Saudi Arabia. The Spaniard defeated Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Prior to his match, Alcaraz shared his thoughts on Rafael Nadal's comeback, stating that, judging from the 22-time Grand Slam champion's training videos, he believed the Spaniard was at "100%."

The 20-year-old also shed light on his insightful conversations with a few of the players who had trained with Nadal in recent weeks, asserting that they had expressed confidence in the 37-year-old's return to competition at his absolute best.

"I saw some videos of him practising, he's 100%," the 20-year-old said. "I hear from other players that they practised with Rafa in these past weeks and they said that he's going to return to his good level. His top level. I think he's ready for great things this year as well."

The 22-time Grand Slam champion enjoys a 2-1 lead in his head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz. However, it was Alcaraz who emerged victorious in their most recent clash at the 2022 Madrid Masters.