Roland-Garros: Carlos Alcaraz, the 18-year-old Spaniard in Nadal's footsteps

For fifteen years, we have seen here and there grow some future Nadals who quickly turned to dust as the descendants of the God of the earth are impossible to bear.

But this time, remember this name.

Carlos Alcaraz, 18, who is competing this week in the Roland-Garros qualifications, has everything heir.

The man with the 20 Grand Slams himself has never ceased to dub his potential successor, of which he is the absolute idol.

"He is a complete player, very aggressive, he is able to go up to the net very often, he moves really well, he is courageous and he is a good person, with the right attitude," slipped the Mallorcan after him to have given a little lesson in Madrid a few weeks ago, the day of his majority.

I think he's going to cut corners very quickly, and that he's going to be a fantastic player in the near future.

"

Feliz semana to todos, especialmente to Carlos Alcaraz, that desde hoy is top 100 of the @atptour.

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- Germán Abril (@ gerebit0) May 24, 2021

Coming from the mouth of the Manacori, who is not the king of emphasis, the words should therefore be taken seriously.

It must be said that the world n ° 3 does not get too wet.

His young compatriot has long panicked the precocity records.

Unheard of for some… Richard Gasquet.

He is thus the first - and still the only - player born in 2003 to have won matches on the ATP circuit.

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Out of qualifying in Australia, he became the youngest Spanish player to win a Grand Slam match since Nadal in 2003. After scraping more than 350 places in the standings last year, the Murcian continue their irresistible ascent. Thanks to his title at the Challenger de Oeiras last Saturday, he is now ranked 94th in the world. Benjamin in the top 100. Obviously with a strong appetite for clay, where he won all his titles in Challenger (Trieste, Barcelona, ​​Alicante and therefore Oeiras).

To consolidate the reputation of the young man a little more, only Gasquet, Del Potro, Auger-Aliassime and Djokovic had raised as many cuts on the secondary events before their majority. "But I do not like that we constantly make the comparison with Nadal, slips the teenager. He has a brilliant career and I have everything to show. I can't compare myself to him and we shouldn't. Rafa is an example, especially mentally. I have to improve myself in this area, know how to fight when things are not going well. I still have trouble concentrating on each point for four hours. Rafa will always be the best there. "

Muy feliz por ganar el @ATPChallenger OeirasOpen y por conseguir estar entre los top100 gracias a todos los que estais apoyandome cada dia.

Very happy to win the @ATPChallenger OeirasOpen and to be among the top100, thanks to all of you who are with me supporting me every day.

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- Carlos Alcaraz (@ alcarazcarlos03) May 22, 2021

Alcaraz is at a good school. A member of the Equelite academy, he is coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero, ex-world No. 1 and winner of Roland-Garros in 2003. As if all the ocher fairies had leaned over his cradle… “Juan Carlos puts a lot of emphasis on attitude, he detailed in As. He's been through where I am. It helps me to be disciplined, to know how to suffer, to manage difficult times. He has enormous experience. Especially Ferrero does not cease to temper the cumbersome reference to Nadal.

Passionate about golf, Alcaraz cultivates humility but nurtures great ambitions. Like its glorious elder. “My big dream is to be world number one,” he repeats. I would love to win all the Grand Slams. I know perfectly well what to do and the path I will have to follow. I'm going step by step. Last fall, the Iberian failed in the first round of qualifying. Eight months later, the Slovak Lacko, the opponent designated this Tuesday for his entry into the running, can legitimately complain about the draw ...