"He got that job done, and that’s the sign of a champion." ❤️ @JohnMcEnroe praised Carlos Alcaraz for his shot-making in a second round win over Lorenzo Sonego at the Australian Open! @RachStringer | @Babsschett | #AusOpen
"We are changing the king": Arise Alcaraz as Alex Corretja says Rafael Nadal passing baton to his compatriot
ATPFriday, 19 January 2024 at 18:00
Arise King Carlos Alcaraz as the baton is set to be passed over from one Spanish king to another believes Alex Corretja as he sees the ascendance of the former to the top of the game as a changing of the king.
Alcaraz despite having some issues against Lorenzo Sonego will head into his tie against Juncheng Shang full of confidence of reaching the fourth round after showing expert skill and at times top form.
"If you see the results, he’s been winning matches like all the legends do, [Novak] Djokovic, Nadal, [Roger] Federer," Corretja, appearing on Eurosport's The Cube, said of Alcaraz.
"So, the comparisons are understandable. Here in Spain, we had Rafa, so expectations were very high and now we have 'Carlitos', so it is like we are changing the king.
"Yes, we still have Rafa to come back, but we are so blessed to have Carlitos as he brings always so much emotion into the game, he always smiles.
"He's more like a new generation, new generation because they want everything for now, everything has to be faster and that’s the way Carlitos plays, so I would say it is all adjusted to the modern era."
Mats Wilander wondered if facing Alcaraz was as daunting as facing Nadal which is where he saw a difference to which Corretja responded.
"There is something to what you say," Corretja responded. "In my era when you play [Pete] Sampras or [Boris] Becker or [Andre] Agassi for you Mats, it felt a little bit like a curse, you had so much respect, you had been watching them on TV.
"[With Alcaraz] it feels more like a friend, more like a practice match and you think ok, let’s play, you don’t have the fear. But at the same time he is showing he doesn’t care about the same issues we used to care [about], he is more chilled in a way and it is nice to see that they are having fun.
"I don’t know how they do it as we more suffered than having fun, they are just playing tennis, they don't care about results or history or the things the older guys used to worry [about]. So I think it is quite nice to see that; you don't want to see the guys struggling on the court or seeming anxious."
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