In the latest edition of the Player’s Voice series on Eurosport, Carlos Alcaraz spoke about the Big 3, Swiss maestro Roger Federer, compatriot Rafael Nadal and Serbian world number 1 Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz explained: “I first met Rafael Nadal at a Rafa Nadal Tour award ceremony. At the time, I didn’t even dare to exchange a word with him.
When I started to converse with Rafa, I realized that he was a kind and humble person. If you don’t know who Nadal is and all he’s earned, you might take him for a regular guy.
It is precisely these qualities that make him so special. “ATP number 1 Novak Djokovic had good words for Alcaraz. The Serbian champion has admitted to seeing himself in the young Iberian talent.
Regarding this, Alcaraz said: “When Nole released these statements, I was blown away. I sent him a message and thanked him for his loving phrases.”
Many compare Alcaraz to Nadal, but the young Spanish tennis player has a different idea about it. Indeed, he said: “I think my style of play is reminiscent of Roger Federer’s.
I like to be aggressive and I like to come to the net to close the point. ”
The Big 3 season
The Big 3 have rewritten the history of men’s tennis, monopolizing the ATP Tour for a decade and a half.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are currently associated with 20 Grand Slams each, after the Serbian closed the gap with his resounding 2021 season.
The world number 1 approached the “Grand Slam of the calendar” this year, but failed to complete the job at the US Open. Stuck in tension and physically exhausted, the 34-year-old Belgradois bowed to Daniil Medvedev in the final act in New York.
Had he won at Flushing Meadows, Nole would have been the second player in the Open Era, after Rod Laver, to win all four majors in the same year.
Roger and Rafa have had to deal with a number of physical issues, which limited their appearances in 2021. The Swiss have undergone yet another knee surgery, while the Spaniard has only appeared in seven tournaments due to a chronic foot injury.
