Google News Spanish tennis coach draws similarities between Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 5087
Tennis coach Jofre Porta says he definitely sees similarities between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz is having a stunning start to his career as he is already a Masters champion and a top-10 player. This Thursday, Alcaraz turned 19 years old.
Just like Nadal, Alcaraz won his first Masters and reached the top-10 at the age of 18. The only thing that Alcaraz hasn't done like Nadal is to win a Grand Slam at the age of 18. However, that could change in a month as many think Alcaraz should be considered among top favorites for the French Open title.
"I think a lot of things are similar, you know. One of the things obviously is to be brave. Drill the mind, accept every challenge. This one is so, so important. Second one is, the effort. They don't measure the effort. At 16-years-old, Nadal was like this, it's not so tactical," Porta said on Control the Controllables podcast, as quoted on Sportskeeda.
Porta: Alcaraz was always brave
The first time Porta saw Alcaraz, he saw a young player who was not afraid to go for his shots. "With Alcaraz, the first time I saw him, he was very young. He played fantastic but was not sure, he made mistakes but he was so brave," Porta said.
Alcaraz and Nadal clashed two months ago in the Indian Wells semifinal. Alcaraz fell just short of claiming his first win over Nadal as the former world No. 1 escaped with a three-set win. After the win, Nadal noted that he doesn't look at Alcaraz as just some 18-year-old - but a real threat.
Also, Nadal said that Alcaraz "has all the ingredients" to be a top player. Alcaraz resembles Nadal in many ways - not just on the court, but off the court as well. Nadal has always been known as a nice and humble person. When a tennis player gets asked about Alcaraz, they often the words - nice and humble.