"Carlos Alcaraz is a super complete player, I don't see any weaknesses in him for his age like I had" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal believes his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz is a far more well-rounded player than he was at 20.

Nadal made his comeback to the ATP Tour earlier this year at the Brisbane International, following a year-long injury layoff. The Spaniard was in good form as he won his first two matches. However, the 37-year-old picked up a muscle tear in his lower hip during his quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson at the ATP 250 tournament.

The 22-time Major winner subsequently missed the Australian Open a few weeks later. Nadal also pulled out of the 2024 Doha ExxonMobil Open on Wednesday (February 14), inferring in a social media post that he was not ready to compete at the highest level yet.

"Unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014," the Spaniard wrote on X.

On Thursday, February 15, the former World No. 1 sat down for a tell-all interview with Spanish tabloid La Sexta. During the interaction, he was asked to give his thoughts on World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who has been the best player on the ATP Tour after Novak Djokovic for quite some time now.

In response, Nadal showered praise on the 20-year-old, saying that he is a "super complete player". The 37-year-old also claimed that his own backhand, volley, and slice were not as potent at Alcaraz's age.

"He is very good and very young. Let's see how he manages it and how his body responds. Carlos has an incredible level of tennis. He is a super complete player. I don't see any weaknesses in him for his age like I had," Nadal said to La Sexta. "I served much worse than him, I had a worse volley, a worse slice, a worse backhand..."

---

Rafael Nadal will face Carlos Alcaraz in the 'Netflix Slam' in March

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz interact at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open

Rafael Nadal will take on Carlos Alcaraz in a fun exhibition in Las Vegas on March 3. The event is titled "Netflix Slam" and will take place at the Michelob Ultra Arena. The encounter between the two players will mark only the fourth time they will face off on a tennis court.

Nadal leads Alcaraz by a margin of 2-1 in their head-to-head meetings. He beat the youngster handily during their first match at the 2021 Madrid Masters, giving away just three games. Their next encounter came the following year at Indian Wells, which was won by the 22-time Major champion in three tough sets.

Alcaraz finally recorded his first victory over his older opponent in Madrid a few months later, coming out with a gutsy three-set win. He would go on to not only win the title that week, but establish himself as an elite player as well.