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Rafael Nadal recently expressed his admiration and support for his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, who is making his debut at the ATP Finals in Turin this week.
Carlos Alcaraz has made a stunning breakthrough in 2023, winning six titles, including a Grand Slam (Wimbledon Championships) and two Masters 1000 tournaments (Madrid and Indian Wells).
Alcaraz has not only adopted the 37-year-old’s style of play, with his powerful forehand, heavy topspin, and aggressive baseline game, but also his attitude and mentality, with his never-give-up spirit, constant improvement, and respect for his opponents.
In a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, November 8, Alcaraz expressed his admiration and gratitude for the 22-time Grand Slam champion. He also revealed his ambition to be one of the best tennis players in history, and to follow in the footsteps of his idol.
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"I want to be one of the best tennis players in history. To be on the same table as the legend, Rafa. Rafa was my hero when I was young when I started playing tennis. Towards his matches, finals, lifting the best trophies in the world, I felt, for me, Rafa was my hero growing up," Alcaraz said.
Nadal, currently ranked No. 244 after a long injury layoff, commented on the post, wishing him good luck for the year-end finals, where Alcaraz will be the second seed and the favorite to win his seventh title of the season.
"Big hug and good luck in Turin 💪🏻🙌," the Spaniard wrote.
The ATP Finals, which will take place from November 12 to 19, at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy, will feature the top eight players of the year, including Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Holger Rune.
A look at Rafael Nadal's performance in the ATP Finals over the years
Rafael Nadal has played the ATP Finals 11 times but has reached the final only twice, in 2010 and 2013, where he lost both times, to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic respectively. He has a record of 21 wins and 18 losses at the year-end finals.
Nadal’s best performance at the ATP Finals came in 2010, when he won all his group matches, against Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, and Tomas Berdych, before defeating Andy Murray in the semifinals. He faced Federer in the final, but the Swiss proved too strong, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
In 2013, the 37-year-old returned to the final after winning his group matches against David Ferrer, Stan Wawrinka, and Berdych, and beating Federer in the semifinals. He faced defending champion Djokovic in the final. The Serb dominated the match, winning 6-3, 6-4.
The former World No. 1 has not reached the final since then but has come close on several occasions. He reached the semifinals four times, losing to Federer (2006, 2007), Djokovic (2015), and Daniil Medvedev (2020).
Rafael Nadal’s last appearance at the ATP Finals was in 2022 when he played in Turin for the first time. He lost his first match to Taylor Fritz in straight sets, 7-6 (3), 6-1, then lost again to Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, confirming his elimination from the tournament. The Spaniard however won his third-round-robin match against Casper Ruud in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5.
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