Tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou says he definitely sees the similarities between
Carlos Alcaraz and
Rafael Nadal as he has described the Miami Masters champion as "the modern version of Rafa."
Alcaraz, 18, became a Masters champion after winning Miami making him the youngest player to ever win the event. He also came fairly close to breaking into the top 10 only months after setting the top 15 as his end goal for 2022. The rise of the youngster has been incredible and tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou took note.
He admitted that the comparison's to Nadal are no surprise:
"I completely
understand the comparison with Rafa. Firstly they are both Spanish,
secondly, they are super physical players. Third, they are mentally
incredible. It is already a lot. I think they have the same style of
play. I'm talking about Rafa today and not Rafa at the age of Alcaraz"
Patrick further said:
"He was playing completely different, much further back with long rallies and spin and now he is more aggressive. I would say Carlos Alcaraz will be the modern version of Rafa."
He also pointed out the differences:
"There are a lot of differences too. There is a rightie and a
leftie and that makes a big difference. Rafa's technique is unique and I
would say Carlos Alcaraz's is a bit more classic. When you watch them play it doesn't look like they are the same, but in
terms of quality there are similarities and in the style of play too."