"Despite having openly declared that he is an admirer of Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz has been able to see that his line of play should follow the same paths that continue to guide Rafael Nadal" - Toni Nadal

Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, Toni, has said that Carlos Alcaraz deploys methods similar to those of Rafael Nadal despite the teenager stating that he is a big admirer of Roger Federer.

Alcaraz reached his maiden Grand Slam singles final after beating Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling semifinal on Friday, 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3.

Writing in his column for El Pais, Toni Nadal wrote that good players are able to adjust their style to the correct model. He revealed that the model Rafael Nadal followed was a mixture of the styles of Thomas Muster and Jimmy Connors.

"One of the successes that good players make is to adjust their style to the correct model; that is, knowing how to see which are the most suitable patterns according to the characteristics that one has," Toni Nadal wrote.

"That is what Rafael and I tried to do from the beginning of his tennis career. Even having Carlos Moya as my favorite player, also as a close figure, compatriot and friend, from an early age it was clear to me that the game model that my nephew should follow to enhance his natural qualities was a mixture of the game of Thomas Muster and Jimmy Connors," he added.

The 61-year-old coach in turn pointed out that Carlos Alcaraz's style is guided by that of Rafael Nadal, despite being a great admirer of Federer.

"This is also one of the great virtues that Alcaraz treasures. Despite having openly declared that he is an admirer of Roger Federer, he has been able to see that his line of play should follow the same paths that continue to guide my nephew," Toni Nadal said.

"Our young tennis player has been demonstrating that same desire for victory, that ability not to give up and to fight until the last ball , that same intensity that has given Rafael so many victories and of which Carlos has taken good note, as he has gone growing up as a tennis player," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Casper Ruud in the US Open final

Carlos Alcaraz will face Casper Ruud in the US Open final

Carlos Alcaraz will square off against Casper Ruud in the US Open final on Sunday. This will be the third meeting between the two players, with the Spaniard winning both of their previous clashes. Their most recent encounter came in the final of the 2022 Miami Masters, with Alcaraz winning 7-5, 6-4.

There is plenty at stake in this mouth-watering final. Aside from lifting their first Major, the winner will also become the new World No. 1