Andre Agassi: "Rafael Nadal reminded me of me when I was approaching retirement, I had people like Andy Roddick behind me, now it is Carlos Alcaraz"

Andre Agassi recently made a comparison between himself and Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard's retirement looms on the horizon. Agassi mentioned that during his time of retirement, he had players like Andy Roddick ready to take his place. Similarly, he believes the Spaniard has Carlos Alcaraz following in his footsteps.

After withdrawing from the Australian Open and the Qatar Open due to a muscle tear sustained at the Brisbane International earlier this year, Nadal made his return to the court at the Netflix Slam, an exhibition event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event was broadcast live on Netflix and took place on Sunday, March 3 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The match saw Alcaraz defeat the 22-time Grand Slam champion 3-6, 6-4, 14-12, to claim the Netflix Slam trophy

Tennis legends such as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, and Patrick McEnroe were part of the commentary box for the match.

Leading up to the Netflix Slam, Agassi spoke to Marca where he drew parallels between himself and Nadal. He noted that, much like when he was nearing the end of his career and had Andy Roddick ready to step in, Nadal now has young Alcaraz waiting in the wings, ready to take his place.

"Rafa reminded me of me when I was approaching retirement and I had people like [Andy] Roddick behind me, now it is Alcaraz today," Agassi said.

Agassi also stated that Nadal has rightfully earned the privilege to choose when he wants to retire and expressed his hope that the Spaniard's body will allow him to make that decision.

"He deserves to retire when and where he wants. I hope his body allows him to make the decision when it is really clear to him," he added.

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Rafael Nadal on Carlos Alcaraz: "He is where he deserves and he works for it"

The Spaniards at the 2024 Netflix Slam - Media Availability

Ahead of their clash at the Netflix Slam, Rafael Nadal spoke about Carlos Alcaraz and the impressive talent his compatriot possesses. The 37-year-old talked about the "youth" Alcaraz has which allows him to perform well and at a high level. He also noted that the World No. 2's "self-confidence" enables him to tackle crucial moments in a match with ease.

"Carlos has a youth that gives you many things. He has an energy, a passion and a self confidence that helps you face important moments with little fear," he said (via Europe Press)

Nadal further lauded Carlos Alcaraz for his exceptional physique and described him as one of the most well-rounded and "complete" players for his age.

"For his age, he is one of the most complete players I have ever seen. He has all the records in addition to a marvelous physique. He is where he deserves and he works for it," he added.

Alcaraz, 20, is a two-time Grand Slam winner already and trails Nadal 2-1 in their head-to-head record on the tour.