Rafael Nadal teaches Carlos Alcaraz a valuable lesson on handling Novak Djokovic

After Rafael Nadal lost to Carlos Alcaraz in The Netflix Slam, the young Spaniard praised his hero for his mentality and battling spirit.

Rafael Nadal, the tennis legend, has imparted valuable knowledge to Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz praised Rafael Nadal’s never-say-die mentality after defeating the other Spaniard in The Netflix Slam and said he wished for the same quality.

At the summit of the world rankings, Alcaraz, 20, and Novak Djokovic are already deeply involved in a developing rivalry. And it’s obvious that he will use everything he has learnt from Nadal to improve his game in his quest to become the greatest player in the world.

Alcaraz defeated Rafael Nadal in his Las Vegas exhibition match, winning 3-6, 6-4 (14–12). In their previous three meetings, Nadal had defeated Alcaraz twice prior to this match.
Alcaraz expressed his respect for Rafael Nadal to the 9,489 spectators in attendance after Alcaraz defeated Nadal. He discussed the lessons he hopes to incorporate into his own game from the legend.

“The battling spirit, I believe. About what he appreciates about Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz remarked, “He never gives up on any ball, he runs to every corner of the court, hitting amazing shots.” “It took me a few match points to get it.

“He hit an incredible shot. He never gives up. I try to save that for when I play,” he continued. “It’s great of him to have that mindset of always looking for answers when things aren’t going well. I make an effort to hold it. I believe that everyone should make an effort to hold onto it in life.”

After the game, Nadal expressed his admiration for Alcaraz as well. He said that after he retires, he will become a fan of his fellow Spaniard.

“Playing him is a huge challenge, to start with. Totally distinct generations are involved. We should be extremely grateful to have someone like Carlos in Spain, Nadal said.
“He is a fantastic player. 20 years old and already the winner of two slams. A few highly significant competitions,” he continued. The fact that I won’t play against him frequently is a plus. I will continue to love him as a fan for a very long time.”

Alcaraz is now ranked second in the world in the sport of tennis, only after Djokovic. They are starting to compete against one another, with Djokovic now having the slight advantage in their meetings.

Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2023. 6-3 and 6-2 were the scores. In addition, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati.

However, Alcaraz managed to defeat Nadal in the previous year’s Wimbledon final. Scores at the end of the match were 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, and 6-4. Alcaraz congratulated Djokovic for realizing his aspirations and said that he looked up to him after that game.

It fulfills a long-held desire of mine. Making history in this magnificent competition is an amazing feeling,” Alcaraz remarked. I must give Novak my congratulations. Having to play against him is incredible. I am inspired by you. You were winning tournaments when I was born.”