"Please don’t compare this baby boy to the GOAT" - Carlos Alcaraz seemingly mirroring Rafael Nadal's rituals during Wimbledon final annoys tennis fans

Tennis fans have not taken kindly to Carlos Alcaraz seemingly mimicking one of Rafael Nadal's trademark routines during the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final.

With his dominant win over Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, Alcaraz set up a blockbuster final against Novak Djokovic, currently taking place on Centre Court. While the Serb attempts to win his record 24th Grand Slam title and equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles, the Spaniard is on the hunt for his maiden title at the grasscourt Major.

During the all-important final, Carlos Alcaraz was spotted meticulously lining up his water bottles to his liking. The move was reminiscent of one of Rafael Nadal's famous routines.

The Tennis Channel social media handle brought forth the comparison between the two Spaniards, inviting criticism from tennis fans.

A fan took issue with Carlos Alcaraz being compared to, arguably, the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in Nadal.

"Please don't compare this baby boy to the GOAT..," the fan tweeted.

"That's crazy that he's even stole someone else's rituals," another fan chimed in.

Other fans claimed that the 22-time Grand Slam champion's routines stemmed from Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and took issue with Alcaraz's apparent imitation.

"Pretending you have OCD like Nadal is hilarious lmaooooo," a fan commented.

"Rafa actually has OCD. Is Alcaraz trying to pretend he has it?" a user posted.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz head into the fifth set in Wimbledon 2023 final

Carlos Alcaraz during Wimbledon 2023 final

At the start the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final, Novak Djokovic's victory looked to be a foregone conclusion. The 23-time Grand Slam winner convincingly rushed away to a 5-0 lead before securing the opening set 6-1.

However, Alcaraz proved his mettle in the second set to become the first player to defeat the Serb in a Grand Slam tie-break since Enzo Couacaud at the Australian Open. The Spaniard thus broke Djokovic's streak of 14 consecutive tie-break wins.

Alcaraz carried his momentum forward into the third set, breaking Djokovic in his opening game. He secured his second break after a thrilling 27-minute game which featured 13 deuces.

The Spaniard's sustained excellence exerted pressure on the 23-time Grand Slam champion as he recorded an uncharacteristic 18 unforced errors during the set.

Despite the setback, the seven-time Wimbledon champion remained unfazed. He roared back in the fourth set to win it and leave the match at 6-1, 6-7(6), 1-6, 6-3, 1-0, at the time of writing this article.