Carlos Alcaraz drives away the'shadow of Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz has often said that Rafael Nadal was his childhood hero. But comparisons are not always useful. “I don’t want to be called Rafa–s successor, says Alcaraz in a new documentary series on Netflix –I want to be called Carlos Alcaraz Garcia”.
Nadal, winner of 22 Slams and world No. 1 for 209 weeks, agrees. “When you’re young and you’re constantly being compared to some pro who has been on the circuit for many years, sometimes you get tired of hearing that – he commented – This leads to too much pressure and, in the end, I think it can distort your daily life and even confuse you”.
‘My Way’ follows Alcaraz throughout the 2024 season, during which he defended his Wimbledon title and also won his first trophy at the French Open, the same Major that Nadal won a record number of 14 times. Despite these successes, Alcaraz says he has difficulty reconciling his professional and personal life: “I think right now my fear is that tennis will become an obligation”.
In one scene, Alcaraz speaks through tears about the moment he destroyed his racket after his second-round loss to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open. “The fact is that I was not strong enough, mentally, to overcome all the stress” he says. In the final scenes, Alcaraz wonders if he has the mindset to become the greatest player in history. “Well, right now I don–he replies –I am still young, I have a lot ahead of me. But from what I have experienced so far, I definitely prefer to put happiness before any kind of goal”.
