Carlos Alcaraz can't be compared to Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, feels David Ferrer

Carlos Alcaraz, according to former World No. 3 David Ferrer, cannot be compared to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or Roger Federer.

Alcaraz won the third Masters 1000 title of his career at Indian Wells in March 2023. However, things took an unwanted turn when he was unable to defend his Miami Open title the following week and thus lost his World No. 1 ranking to Djokovic. The 19-year-old also pulled out of the recently concluded Monte-Carlo Masters due to injury.

However, the Spaniard returned to action at the Barcelona Open, where he is the defending champion. He made a strong start by defeating Portugal's Nuno Borges in his opener to advance to the Round of 16.

David Ferrer, the tournament director of the Barcelona Open, recently told Eurosport that his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz has a spectacular game and also enjoys having fun on the court, which makes him a crowd favorite.

"He has charisma, he is close to the crowd and, above all, he has a really spectacular game, with a lot of power. He is also a player who has fun on the court and people notice that," Ferrer said.

The former French Open runner-up went on to say that while Alcaraz will leave a significant mark in the sport, he doesn't want to compare the youngster to Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic just yet, seeing as their shadows are "difficult to match."

"He is already No. 1 and the youngest ever to win a Grand Slam. He is breaking one record after another," Ferrer said.

"I don't want to compare him to Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic or [Roger] Federer because their shadow is very difficult to match. But without a doubt he will be a player who will mark an era in Spanish and world tennis," he added.

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Carlos Alcaraz will face compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round of the Barcelona Open

Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the Barcelona Open 2023

Carlos Alcaraz will face compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in the Round of 16 to take a step closer to defending his Barcelona Open title. The 19-year-old will also be hoping to defend an ATP title for the first time in his career.

If he gets past Bautista Agut, Alcaraz will take on another compatriot in the quarterfinals -- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The 10th seed defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets on Thursday to book his place in the final eight.