Spanish tennis is in good hands: those of Carlos Alcaraz, who at The Six Kings Slam beat his idol Rafael Nadal in a sort of handover. An important continuity for Spain, considering how the moment of retirement of the 22-time Slam champion is approaching, who after more than 20 years of a career full of successes, will give his tennis farewell after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
In an interview given to the Spanish newspaper AS after participating in the Saudi exhibition, the 38-year-old Spaniard expressed his opinion on the two young champions who are destined to dominate tennis for the next few years: Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“The two of them are above everyone else. I don’t see a rival who can constantly challenge them. One day, of course, there will be many very good people who can compete. But in the medium term there is no one who can give them real competition, as long as they don’t have an injury that prevents them from performing at the same level. Things are cyclical and it is logical that when an era ends in which there were three players who achieved more than anyone else in the history of our sport, it is clear that an era that was unique and special for many reasons is ending. But we are talking about another era, in which a player like Carlos has already arrived, who has four Grand Slams. Jannik, two. Every year there are champions and if they manage to stay at this level, they will also generate a lot of interest. Over time this interest will grow for obvious reasons, because great stars and characters are not created in two days. What makes them great is that they last over time and that at a certain point they transcend the sport, that people He actually goes to see those matches, not just because he likes tennis, but because he goes to see the characters themselves. I think it will take a while for this to happen, but I am convinced that it will happen,” he explained.
From a champion of the tennis era that is closing to another. Novak Djokovic and Nadal faced each other for the last time – albeit in an exhibition tournament – at the Six Kings Slam. The Serbian champion prevailed in two sets, but it was the post-match that provided the strongest emotions. Both the Serbian champion and the Spaniard in fact remembered their rivalry by sending words of great admiration towards each other. Djokovic, in particular, paid tribute to the career of Nadal, who will retire after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. In the interview given to the newspaper AS, the Spaniard went into more detail, obviously also mentioning Roger Federer and talking about the Big 3.
“I think it is human that Novak, even if in excellent condition, once Federer has retired and I am about to do so, will have a small exhaustion and decide to leave. It happens to everyone. If he is healthy, he can still be competitive at the highest level and aim to win the biggest tournaments. If at a certain point, all the sacrifices he makes are not repaid, I think he will choose to step aside. Djokovic is the player I have faced the most in my career, but my biggest rival was Federer. Roger was the first one I had to beat when I arrived on the major circuit. They have marked you particularly for years and Roger was always there. My rivalry with both of them was more intense than the one they had, I don’t know why. Who is the best? The numbers say Djokovic, so his level was also the best. He is also the one who has managed to stay away from injuries the longest. It is not an excuse, also thanks to this he is the best and deserves this title,” he said.
In Riyadh, in one of the press conferences during the rich Six Kings Slam, Rafa told a series of behind-the-scenes stories about his retirement, analyzing: “Last year I said that this would probably be my last year, and it was. It’s just that I communicated it a little bit later. People expected me to do it before Roland Garros. I gave myself the necessary time, it represents a major change in my life compared to what I have done in the last 30 years. They were supposed to say goodbye to me in Rome and Paris, but I wanted to give myself more time. I felt it was necessary to see how my body evolved after a difficult operation like the one I had on my hip. I am not exhausted or tired of my sport. I am not able to do it consistently at the level and standards that compensate me and motivate me. To come to this conclusion I had to wait a little bit and I think it was something I needed.”