"I don't think we have seen anyone like him before": Nishikori in high praise for Alcaraz, calls him Nadal with 'more speed'
ATP
Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori believes that there is a
lot of similarity between Spain’s young star Carlos Alcaraz and legendary Rafael
Nadal.
Alcaraz is now the talk of the town after winning his maiden
Wimbledon title in London earlier this month after beating the current number two
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller with a score of 1–6, 7–6(8–6),
6–1, 3–6, 6–4.
Nishikori, while talking to ATP, drew a comparison between
the two Spanish players but believes that the 20-year-old has more pace
compared to the 22-time Grand Slam winner.
‘'One thing I hope to get the chance to do is to play
against these great young players like Alcaraz, [Holger] Rune and [Jannik]
Sinner at some point,'' he said.
‘'That's part of my motivation to try to play
for a few more years. I don't think we have seen anyone like Alcaraz before. He
looks like Rafa but he has more speed. Good defence, unbelievable forehand and
he has a good backhand too.''
The victory was indeed a special one, considering before
this year, Alcaraz’s best outing in the third Grand Slam of the year was
playing in the fourth round.
However, any comparison with someone like Nadal will be a
slightly unfair one, largely because he is amongst the greatest players in the
history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era.
Out of the 22 Grand Slams titles, 14 of those came in the French
Open, which is why the 37-year-old is called the ‘King of Clay’.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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