Carlos Alcaraz claimed titles at the Vienna tournament and the Paris Masters within a single week, securing nine consecutive indoor hard-court victories.
Those back-to-back trophies answered lingering questions about his ability to conquer indoor conditions, a surface that presented distinct challenges during his early professional seasons. The 2023 Wimbledon victory already proved his rapid adaptation to grass after only 18 professional matches on the surface, but indoor courts remained an unconquered frontier until recently.
Indoor tennis required adjustments to his service effectiveness and court positioning against opponents comfortable in fast rallies. That transformation became visible in 2025 when he captured his first indoor title in Rotterdam and reached the ATP Finals championship match in Turin before falling to Jannik Sinner.
Former professional player Álex Corretja noted the magnitude of this shift across multiple seasons. Speaking on Cadena SER’s El Larguero in 2024, Corretja called the player a beast and admitted that adapting between surfaces used to trouble his own generation.
Corretja expanded on those comparisons in a September 2025 interview with La Razón, describing the young star’s impact as extraordinary. He noted that tennis fans are fortunate to witness another global reference following Rafael Nadal, emphasizing that the two competitors remain entirely distinct in both personality and style.
El País Semanal published further reflections from Corretja regarding the philosophical differences between the two Spanish champions. Corretja explained that Nadal embodies a philosophy of suffering and constant survival instinct, whereas Alcaraz approaches high-stakes competition with visible enjoyment and a relaxed demeanor.
Corretja’s assessment of the young competitor began years before these major milestones. During an appearance on Eurosport in May 2022, when Alcaraz was 18 years old and had not yet won a Grand Slam title, the former player urged observers to let him forge an independent path rather than rely solely on constant comparisons to Nadal.
Corretja expressed absolute certainty during that 2022 broadcast that the teenager would eventually reach the world number one ranking, capture major titles, and surpass the career achievements of many Spanish tennis legends while keeping Nadal’s unique dimension separate.
Related reading
