Carlos Alcaraz will influence players in the way Rafael Nadal influenced him, claims Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova said that Carlos Alcaraz would influence players the same way he was influenced by Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz has been nothing short of a revelation since 2022, as he won the US Open and two Masters 1000 titles, among other accolades, en route to becoming the youngest-ever male World No. 1.

The Spaniard previously lost the ranking to Novak Djokovic after the latter won the Australian Open before reclaiming it by triumphing at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Martina Navratilova talked about Alcaraz while interacting with Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj. The 66-year-old said that the Spaniard was already having a "konockdown effect" on his colleagues as more players were deploying drop shots, one of the many aspects he is well known for.

Navratilova claimed that Alcaraz would have an influence on his colleagues like Rafael Nadal had on him.

"I do see the knockdown effect already, more players using more drop shots. I think he will have an effect on the game, in players really seeing, 'I just cannot hit amazing forehands and backhands, I have to be an all-court player, I have to have the touch, I have to be brave, etc,'" Navratilova said.

" I think he'll have a really good influence on the players the way he's been influenced by Rafa Nadal, in his demeanor and the way he plays. I think he will have the knockdown effect on other players, on both the women's tour and the men's tour," she added.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Tommy Paul in the Miami Open 2023 fourth round

Carlos Alcaraz in action at the Miami Open

Carlos Alcaraz is currently competing at the Miami Open as the defending champion and booked his place in the fourth round of the tournament with straight-set wins over Facundo Bagnis (6-0, 6-2) and Dusan Lajovic (6-0, 7-6(5)).

The Spaniard will next face 16th seed Tommy Paul, who ousted 20th seed Alejandro Davidvich Fokina in his previous match. Paul won the previous meeting between the two in three sets when they locked horns in the second round of the Canadian Open last year.

Speaking about the fixture, Carlos Alcaraz said that he would have to play at his best in order to beat the American.

"I lost the first and only match that I played against Tommy. I know that he's a really talented and really tough player, so I have to play at my best. Let's see what's going to happen on Tuesday," the Spaniard said.

Whoever wins between Alcaraz and Paul will take on either Taylor Fritz or Holger Rune in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.