"He will win it this year": Four-time doubles Grand Slam winner calls Carlos Alcaraz heir of Rafael Nadal on clay court

Four-time doubles Grand Slam winner Paul McNamee believes that Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is the heir of Rafael Nadal, especially on the clay court. The 20-year-old is often regarded as one of the most highly-rated players currently playing in the men’s singles category, alongside Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz is often looked at by pundits and tennis lovers as a natural candidate to replace Nadal, who is clearly edging towards the end of his career, as one of the brightest stars in the world of tennis. McNamee was recently quoted in a report where he stated that Alcaraz is the heir of Nadal, not only in tennis but especially while playing on the clay court.

"Rafa and Bjorn Borg are the two grandmasters, we can call them, of chess, because clay is chess at the end of the day. Hard court is draught, so they're different games,” he said. “One is linear and one is angular. One has nuances, one does not. So, a clay court is a chess board. So, the grandmasters are Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg. Next in line will be Carlos Alcaraz. It was almost a miracle he didn't win the French last year and he will win it this year unless something amazing happens. I mean, he's that good, this guy, on clay, right. This guy is the real deal.”