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Rafael Nadal defeated countryman Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday. And after the match, Nadal heaped rich praise on the talented 18-year-old.
Carlos Alcaraz has been widely touted to replace the 20-time Grand Slam champion as the next big thing in Spanish tennis. Rafael Nadal himself is convinced that Alcaraz has a great future, and during his post-match press conference he claimed that the teenager has all the necessary qualities required for success.
"I wish Carlos the best, he has the values that society needs," Nadal said. "For me, more important than any success is to be a good person. When you have values, the stages are covered at a greater speed. He has everything to be a great player."
The 34-year-old went on to assert that Carlos Alcaraz is already a great player, and that he just needs time to adjust to the tour. He was also complimentary of his opponent's will to fight till the end of the match.
"It was a difficult game with a young man who is very strong," Nadal continued. "The only thing he needs is time because he is already a great tennis player. The greatest respect for a rival is to compete until the end."
Rafael Nadal also spoke about his own game, and claimed that his recent triumphant run at the Barcelona Open has helped him gain momentum on clay. The Spaniard also pointed out that his serve is improving with each passing day, after some real struggles with the shot in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
"The victory in Barcelona helped me and things have gotten better," the 34-year-old said. "I have been serving much better for days. I have worked on it and we have studied things. I feel comfortable with the service again since I arrived in Madrid. I have recovered some things with the work we have done."
"Carlos Alcaraz has a beautiful future ahead of him" - Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz has broken into the top 130 of the world rankings this year. After an incredibly successful year at the Challenger level in 2020, Alcaraz has picked up some respectable results on the ATP tour over the last few months.
The 18-year-old is also the first player born in 2003 or later to reach a Grand Slam main draw, having done so at the Australian Open earlier this year.
During his presser, Rafael Nadal revealed what he said to Carlos Alcaraz at the net following their encounter. The World No. 2 claimed that in addition to Alcaraz's talent, his attitude also bodes well for his future prospects.
"I have told him bad luck, it is a pleasure and we must continue," Rafael Nadal said. "I have always tried to be friendly and close with Carlos. He has had a very good attitude both on the track and in Australia, he had to confine himself and no complaints that I see from him. We need someone new to come out of Spanish tennis. He has a beautiful future ahead of him."
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