"Without a doubt, Carlos Alcaraz is his natural replacement" - David Ferrer opens up on what makes Alcaraz Rafael Nadal's successor

Former World No. 3 David Ferrer has stated that Carlos Alcaraz is Rafael Nadal's natural successor in a recent interview with Marca.

Ferrer has had an eventful last few months. The retired 2013 French Open finalist was part of the winning team in the first stage of the Legends Team Cup on the ATP Champions tour in August.

Earlier in June, Ferrer was announced as the new Davis Cup Finals Tournament Director, replacing Albert Costa. This is not his first role as a tournament director, with Ferrer holding the same position at the Barcelona Open since 2019.

The Spaniard has been heavily involved in the administrative side of tennis since his retirement in 2019 and it's clear to see that his passion for the sport hasn't dried up.

Ferrer was asked about several topics in his interview with Marca, ranging from his return to the Davis Cup in a different capacity to the newly crowned World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

When asked if he believed in Alcaraz's traction as a player, Ferrer responded in the affirmative, adding that he was a different and "special" player.

"It is clear that Carlos is a blessing. We have Rafa Nadal, who is unique, but the truth is that we have relief because he is a different player, special. Rafa Nadal is unique, but Carlos is his natural successor; he has something different," Ferrer said.

He went on to add that Alcaraz possesses something different from the rest of the tour and expressed his surprise at the fact that the Murcian has faced so much favoritism and pressure as a teenager.

"Yes, it is surprising how he has faced favoritism and pressure at 19 years old. He has something different from the others as in his day happened with Rafa, Federer and Djokovic. He is a tennis player who possesses all the shots and dominates the point. He is humble and wants to continue learning every day," Ferrer said.

"When you’re a kid, you always want to be like someone; it was incredible for me to grow up watching the Big 3’s matches" - Carlos Alcaraz

2022 US Open Champions Portraits

Carlos Alcaraz has found himself in the spotlight after capturing his maiden Major title at the 2022 US Open. The Spaniard recently spoke to GQ magazine about his run in New York, his mindset and background.

He didn't shy away from highlighting his adulation for the 'Big 3' of tennis - Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and their impact on him and his tennis career.

“When you’re a kid, you always want to be like someone, you know? It was incredible for me to grow up watching [the Big 3’s] matches. Just the best guys in the world, dominating the ATP, winning for so many years. That helped me to be like them––well, to try to be like them,” Alcaraz said.

He also gave some insight into his training and elaborated on how quickly he moves on the court, with his brilliant court coverage being highlighted by many tennis pundits and fans alike.

“I consider myself a guy who learns things really quick.” he said. “I learn very fast, and I work really hard. Every single day. I worked on precision movements the last two years, really top ones.”

When asked if he expected the US Open to be the scene of his first Major win, the Murcian revealed that he didn't think of any particular Slam as his first win. He also touched on where he'd like to win his second Major title.

“I didn’t. I hadn’t really envisioned which one would be first,” he said.

“I wouldn’t mind if I won in Australia or at Wimbledon or Roland Garros. A Slam is a Slam,” Alcaraz stated.