Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he finds comparisons with Rafael Nadal ‘annoying’.
Both men are from Spain and the 20-year-old has enjoyed a stunning rise over the past 12 months, winning two Grand Slam titles.
Alcaraz is hoping to follow in Nadal’s footsteps by becoming a tennis titan, with his compatriot securing 22 majors during the course of his glittering career.
However, while the youngster is fine with comparisons with great players, he does find the extra focus on Nadal to be ‘annoying’.
Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he finds comparisons with Rafael Nadal ‘annoying’
“It’s [being compared to the best players to play the game] not annoying,” he said.
“But I would say the comparison with Rafa [is annoying].”
Few had heard of Alcaraz a few years ago but he’s already won two Grand Slams, despite only turning 20 in May.
He secured the US Open title last year, powering his way to glory at Flushing Meadows with Casper Ruud beaten in the final.
And Alcaraz then followed that up with a sensational victory over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon back in July.
The youngster was, however, unable to retain his US Open title this year.
Djokovic won that prize instead, with the Serb also returning to the top of the rankings as a result.
Alcaraz is eager to return to being No 1 in the world, though, and has warned the veteran that he’ll give his all to make that dream happen.
“The season has a lot of tournaments until the year is over,” he added.
“I’ll try to recover (No 1) ranking before the year ends.”
Nadal, meanwhile, was recently asked about Alcaraz.
And the Spaniard believes his countryman is surprised by the success he’s experienced throughout his career so far.
“I think that Carlos is a little surprised by what he can do,” said Nadal, who is hoping to feature in all four Grand Slams next year.
“He has been number one in the world until recently. And although he is very young, right now, practically, the only rival I see for him is [Novak] Djokovic.
“He is a step above everyone else. My feeling from outside the circuit is that when he plays, the games normally depend on him 90 per cent of the days.
“In that sense, I think that what happened at Wimbledon does not surprise me, and that it is not surprising, it means how good Carlos is and in that case everything that the level he has implies.
“The reality is that it is fantastic news for sport and for tennis to have someone like him, who is doing what he is doing and, on top of that, with so much time ahead of him.”
Alcaraz is next in action at the China Open.
That tournament is due to commence on September 25, with the player featuring in the competition for the first time.
Carlos Alcaraz has warned Novak Djokovic he’s coming for his No 1 ranking
Alcaraz is also expected to play at the Shanghai Masters next month, too.
