"I was amazed at how good Carlos Alcaraz was" - Emilio Nava details Spaniard's 'mental consistency' from practice hit at Juan Carlos Ferrero's academy

World No. 144 Emilio Nava recently showered rich praise on Carlos Alcaraz, claiming that he admired the Spaniard's work ethic and on-court demeanor.

Nava has been competing on the ATP tour since 2019. The American, who achieved his career-high ranking of 144 this week, trained at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Alicante, Spain, during his early years.

The 22-year-old was thus in direct contact with World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz as the latter grew into a world-beater. He was able to train with the young Spaniard several times, which was admittedly a valuable experience for him.

Speaking to the Spanish tabloid 'Punto de Break', Nava insisted that he was impressed with Carlos Alcaraz's "mental consistency". He also praised the Spaniard's ability to maintain a smile during tense on-court moments.

“I was always trying to watch his training when we practiced together, I was amazed at how good he was. I think it was his consistency that impacted me the most, but his mental consistency," Emilio Nava told Punto de Break. "He was always very positive, he always walked in a straight line, which made him very positive. Never have ups and downs, he is a person who is always positive and consistent."

He also let fans in on some of his aspirations as a player.

"I see that I am making steps in my career, but I have a long way to go," the American added. "The closer I get to the top 100, the more I want to overcome that barrier."

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Carlos Alcaraz to open his Buenos Aires campaign against Argentinian qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli

Carlos Alcaraz exited the 2024 Australian Open in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz will be defending his Argentina Open crown this week. Although the Spaniard has not had a great start to his 2024 ATP tour season, he is the overwhelming favorite to win the 250-level event in Buenos Aires.

Having received a first-round Bye, Alcaraz will face local favorite Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the second round. Carabelli qualified for the ATP 250 tournament, before punching above his weight to beat the higher-ranked Juan Pablo Varillas in the first round on Tuesday (February 13).

The World No. 2 enjoyed a great campaign at the 2023 Argentina Open, dropping only one set en route to the title. The Wimbledon champion will be eager to go all the way at the tournament this year, considering how his title run in Buenos Aires set the tone for a career-best season last year.