"People don't realize how much of a party guy Rafael Nadal was": Carlos Alcaraz fans defend Spaniard after Roberto Bautista Agut controversy

Fans defended Carlos Alcaraz by citing Rafael Nadal after their compatriot, Roberto Batista Agut, questioned his discipline following a shock Madrid Open withdrawal. Alcaraz won the Monte-Carlo Masters and reached the Barcelona Open final, but faced multiple injuries, leading to his withdrawal.

Alcaraz began his clay-court swing in fine form, bagging the Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo. He backed it up soon after with a runner-up finish in Barcelona. However, during the Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune, the Spaniard took a medical timeout and was convincingly beaten.

His Madrid Open participation was in doubt due to the injuries, but leading up to the event, he announced, during a special press conference, that he would not play in Madrid.

In the same timeframe, his Netflix documentary, 'Carlos Alcaraz: My Way', was released, and in a conversation with the media at the time, Agut shared his thoughts on the 21-year-old's career path, suggesting that the young star needs to be more disciplined.

"I think top-level tennis demands a lot. I don't think Carlos is going to win Grand Slams by going to bed at seven in the morning. Tennis is very demanding, everything is very nice now, he's very young, but he has to realize that if he wants to match the numbers of the three top players, he has to play at a high level for fifteen years," Agut said.

"I consider him an intelligent person; I'm sure that little by little he'll realize what he needs to be at that good level and he'll implement it," he added.

Bautista calls out Alcaraz: "I don't think he'll win Grand Slams going to bed at 7 in the morning" byu/Zugaxinapillo intennis

Agut's comments were shared on Reddit, and fans defended the four-time Grand Slam champion. One fan mentioned Rafael Nadal and his apparent "party" lifestyle.

"I'm from Mallorca and I think people do not realize how much of a party guy Nadal was, even if he met his wife at a young age he still went pretty much in every verbena possible when he was younger (a verbena is a local summer outdoor party with a very laid-back vibe... So yeah, I don't think going to bed at 7-8am a few nights is supposed to be a big problem for Alcaraz given Nadal did pretty well in his career and did pretty much the same."

Comment byu/Zugaxinapillo from discussion intennis

"It's Carlos' life, its up to him if he wants to make certain sacrifices. Let him live," another fan wrote.

"Too bad Alcaraz already won 4 lmao. I don’t get what RBA is trying to insinuate here," a third fan wrote.

Here are a few more fan reactions defending Carlos Alcaraz.

"Let the man live a little," one fan wrote.

"Spanish people are so unloyal 😭 "from experience" Carlos has more experience on how to win grand slams than you do at your geriatric age @BautistaAgut," another fan wrote.

"Robert, how many slams do you have?" yet another fan asked.

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Novak Djokovic cites Rafael Nadal example and defends Carlos Alcaraz amid injury troubles

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal at the 2025 Laureus World Sport Awards - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz came under fire from the tennis world after his Barcelona Open injury, as many believed he made a mistake in scheduling.

Last year, as well, the Spaniard faced injury issues during the clay season, and although he found exceptional form, winning the French Open, Wimbledon, and a silver medal at the Olympics, he was brought down by more injuries and illnesses in the latter half of the season.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, defended the Spaniard amid the criticism, citing Rafael Nadal's exceptional achievements and Alcaraz's own Grand Slams at a young age.

"No, I don't understand it," Novak Djokovic told Spanish media in response to concerns surrounding Carlos Alcaraz's current form (via TNT Sports). "But the atmosphere and tradition of tennis in this country is very high. The expectation is enormous after Nadal, [Carlos] Moya, [Juan Carlos] Ferrero... they've all been world No. 1."

"But, listen. He's 21 years old, he's won four Grand Slams and many tournaments. What more do you want? You want more, but what he's done in this period is incredible," he added.

In 2025, Carlos Alcaraz holds a 24-5 record. He has won two titles, including an ATP 500 in Rotterdam and a Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo. The World No. 3 also reached the semifinals at Indian Wells and the final in Barcelona. He will be hoping to return before the French Open to defend his title.