The music video for Shakira’s song Gypsy (Gitana in the Spanish version), part of her album She Wolf, was released in early 2010. Nadal starred as the singer’s love interest, grabbing eyeballs. This came as a surprise to many tennis fans since he was known as someone shy and reserved.

The music video, and the song itself, met with positive reception. Many media outlets praised the chemistry between Nadal and Shakira, calling it ‘flirty’. Some publications like HuffPost called the video ‘steamy’.

A few months later, Rafael Nadal talked about shooting the video with Shakira. The interviewer sarcastically remarked it looked like a tough job to romance the superstar Grammy winner. The Spaniard laughed and said it was not difficult. The interviewer then enquired whether Nadal had shown the video to his girlfriend, whom he had been dating for five years at that point, and how she received it since it was a very ‘sexy’ video. With a big grin, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said there were no issues.

“No problem, that’s part of the job.”

Even though Nadal was dating Perello since 2005, some tabloid rumours suggested he was romantically involved with Shakira after this video. However, she would soon go on to date soccer star Gerard Pique, who is also on good terms with Nadal. The couple first met during the making of her very next video, Waka Waka. This, combined with Nadal’s dismissal of his music video as nothing but a day’s work, quashed all speculations.

Shakira revealed why she wanted Rafael Nadal to star in the Gypsy music video

A few weeks after the official music video for Gypsy, Shakira uploaded a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube. The word is often used to colloquially describe a person with a nomadic lifestyle, always on the move. The Colombian pop star felt it described her and reflected her lifestyle. She said she is always travelling for her work and living in different cultures, making her feel like a gypsy.

Shakira revealed the reason she reached out to Rafael Nadal to star in the video was because she felt he also lives a similar nomadic lifestyle. She said she ‘identified’ with how Nadal’s career made him travel across the world and he achieved great things doing so. Of course, him being good-looking helped Shakira make the decision.

“When I thought of including someone in this video, I wanted this person to be someone I felt identified with, someone who had travelled the world and had to fight many battles and give the best in himself to achieve something. So I thought of Rafael Nadal because he is also a person who started his career very, very young and pursued his own goals. Also, he’s very good looking.”

The post ‘It is Part of the Job!’: How Modest Rafael Nadal Reacted to Now-Wife Maria’s Name Being Taken After Starring in Racy Shakira Song appeared first on The SportsRush.

In December 2016, Rafael Nadal hired Carlos Moya, former World No. 1 and winner of the Roland Garros in 1998, as his coach. Three years later in 2019, Novak Djokovic hired Goran Ivanisevic as his coach. Ivanisevic will always remain the only player to win a Grand Slam as a wildcard entry when he won the 2001 Wimbledon.

Interestingly, Ivanisevic and Djokovic have more in common. Ivanisevic once ran out of bats during a match after smashing it multiple times. Djokovic too has an unenviable record of smashing his racket 62 times in his career, something that Nadal has never done.

But Rafael Nadal has not only beaten Novak Djokovic but also Goran Ivanisevic, that too twice. Both the wins were before Nadal turned 18. Ivanisevic is a legend in his own right but his losses against Nadal came back into popular consciousness after Nadal fans used them to fuel the Nadal-Djoker rivalry.

The first Nadal vs Ivanisevic clash first took place at the 2003 Miami Open. It was the second round match of the top half, when Rafael Nadal faced a then-aging, Goran Ivanisevic. Nadal was three months shy of turning 18, and Ivanisevic was more than 32 years old. Still, Ivanisevic had more experience. The match wasn’t completed since Ivanisevic was retired hurt. But Rafael Nadal won the first set 6-4, and no more set was played. Nadal got a walkover. It was still a major win for the youngster.

They met again a month later at the Estoril Open in Portugal. This time it was the first-round encounter and Ivanisevic had the perfect opportunity to take his revenge on the youngster. Nadal, who still wasn’t officially 18, beat Ivanisevic 6-4, 6-1 in the match and took a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head. Nadal winning both those matches was considered a huge upset back then.

Why was Rafael Nadal beating Goran Ivanisevic important to the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry?

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have faced each other 59 times in their career. Djokovic just leads the head-to-head count with 30 wins over Nadal’s 29 wins. In 2019, when Djokovic and Ivanisevic got together as a player-coach duo since his previous coach Marian Vajda didn’t just want to coach one player in the Grand Slams. It was a good move and it helped Djokovic perform well. But when an active Rafael Nadal is still playing, and he defeated the coach of his rival before he was 18, it is bound to get some traction.

Interestingly, Novak Djokovic also played against Nadal’s coach and former No. 1 player Carlos Moya. They met four times, with the honors split 2-2 among them. Djokovic doesn’t lead in this aspect and hence it didn’t create as much hype as Nadal beating Ivanisevic did. Rafael Nadal might be back for the French Open 2024, to which Djokovic said that he will still be a threat.

The post When Rafael Nadal Beat Novak Djokovic’s Now Coach Goran Ivanisevic Twice Before Turning 18 appeared first on The SportsRush.

Rafael Nadal set up his academy in Manacor, Mallorca, and now has centres in Cancun, Greece, and Hong Kong with a full-fledged branch in Kuwait. The Spaniard’s Academy also conducts clinics in various cities and is currently touring the USA. Patrick Mouratoglou, meanwhile, founded his academy in 1996 and has its main campus in Biot, France. He has expanded to Dubai, Greece, China, and Malaysia.

The most famous program of the Rafa Nadal Academy is the Annual & Semester Program for youth players aged 12-18. It comes with full-time boarding and schooling by the institution. The reported tariff for this training module is $62,000 per year. The academy also allows adults and kids to enrol for week-long camps, with the former also having daily and weekend options. Special summer and easter camps cost €2,175 ($2345), with residential costs.

Meanwhile, the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy’s full-time coaching program, with lodging and schooling, is worth about €40,000 ($43,109) per year. The Frenchman’s academy also offers weekday and weekend camps. It boasts 12 hard courts, 13 clay courts, and eight indoor courts. Contrastingly, Nadal has 19 hard courts, 13 clay courts, seven semi-indoor clay courts and four indoor courts in his academy.

The driving principle of Mouratoglou’s organisation is that every student is unique and viewed as a special project. The Rafa Nadal Academy’s motto is ‘Work hard, have fun, and make it happen’. This signifies the presumable mirrored approaches in the two institutes. The French academy puts the onus on coaches, working with the belief that mentors mould and make the mentee. Nadal’s academy, meanwhile, puts the student forward, assuming that a coach is only the guiding force but the player has the onus of working hard upon him or her.

The Rafael Nadal Academy is more popular despite Mouratoglou Academy having a bigger alumni list

The Rafa Nadal Academy is chiefly managed by Toni Nadal and Carlos Moya. Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud are the biggest names to have trained there in its short history. 2023 ATP Next Gen Finals participant Abdullah Shelbayh and junior Grand Slam champions Alina Korneeva and Daniel Rincon are other notable alumni.

The Patrick Mouratoglou Academy has a long list of illustrious graduates and trainees, given his 20-year headstart. Holger Rune, Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Grigor Dimitrov are some top players to have trained at the academy. Names like Marcos Baghdatis, Simona Halep, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also frequented the institution.

However, Rafael Nadal’s fame means his academy is more popular worldwide, with over 879,000 followers on Instagram. Mouratoglou’s school, meanwhile, lags with 292,000. A similar story ensues across X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

While Nadal’s academy may be more popular, Mouratoglou’s has history on its side. The alumni list for the Rafa Nadal Academy does not compare to the Mouratoglou Academy. However, with increasing controversies surrounding the latter in the wake of Halep’s doping ban, the Spanish academy could zoom ahead.

One can expect Rafael Nadal to be more present and hands-on after his retirement. Hence, the future looks bright for the Rafa Nadal Academy. The Mouratoglou Academy, meanwhile, will hope to emerge stronger and continue its legacy after this storm.

The post Rafael Nadal vs Patrick Mouratoglou: Whose Tennis Academy is Better and Why? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Sinner has elevated his game to elite levels over the last few months. He began his 2024 season with the Australian Open, going on to lift the trophy for his first Majors title. He beat three top 5 players, Andrey Rublev, Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev, in the last three matches of the tournament.

After Melbourne, Jannik Sinner featured in the Rotterdam Open. He played incredible tennis in the ATP 500 event, dropping only one set. He beat Alex de Minaur in the final to clinch the title, the 12th of this career. Apart from a new career-high rank of World No.3, this victory also meant he eclipsed the Big 3 and every other Grand Slam champion since 2001 by achieving a rare record.

Sinner won the first tournament he participated in after securing the maiden Grand Slam title of his career. The last person to achieve this feat was Lleyton Hewitt in 2001. The Aussie won the Japan Open right after bagging his first Majors trophy at the US Open.

Jannik Sinner becomes the first man to win his first tournament as a Grand Slam Champion since 2001.

The last man to do it was Lleyton Hewitt.

The invincible fox.

pic.twitter.com/CbtL8LbVF7

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 18, 2024

Roger Federer and Gaston Gaudio came closest, finishing runner-up in the next event after their first Grand Slam titles. The list of Majors champions since 2001 includes stars like Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and more. Each one of them has failed to do well in the next tournament after winning their first Grand Slam trophy.

Sinner broke the streak by winning the 2024 Rotterdam Open, outdoing these legendary names. This bodes very well for the Italian, who is tipped to match, if not surpass, these icons and establish a solid legacy.

The post Jannik Sinner Trumps Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic For Rare Tennis Record After 2024 Rotterdam Open Win appeared first on The SportsRush.

Both stars have very similar dietary habits, including their love for the seafood version of paella. Growing up in the coastal town of Mallorca, seafood and fish was an essential part of Nadal’s diet. Similarly, Alcaraz has also professed his love for pescatarian dishes. In an interview with LTA, he chose paella as his pick if he could eat only one food for the rest of his life.

The original Valencian recipe for paella does not include seafood, but the two Spanish ATP pros like it with fish. Read on to find out how to cook seafood paella the way Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal like it. However, one should know that one of the USPs of the iconic dish is there is no single fixed recipe. Every chef and every culture has its own bits of variations.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1 large bay leaf
• ½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 medium lemons, zested
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled

Directions for Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal’s favourite Seafood Paella

1. Mix olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper for marinade and add chicken, coating it. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir, and add rice. Cook and stir until rice is coated with oil (approx. 3 minutes).

3. Add spices like saffron, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Stir until well combined and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

4. As rice cooks, heat olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add marinated chicken and stir for 3 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent.

5. Add bell pepper and sausage to chicken; cook and stir, crumbling sausage with a spatula, for 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook and stir until shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque.

6. First, spread rice onto a serving tray. Top it with a layer of meat and seafood mixture.

Also Read: How to make Spaghetti Pomodoro the way Roger Federer enjoys it. 

The post Cooking Masterclass: How to Make Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal’s All-Time Favorite Seafood Paella at Home appeared first on The SportsRush.

Rafael Nadal went viral a long time ago after commenting about women getting paid more in the fashion industry in comparison to men. That was in response to a pointed question of ‘Equal Pay’ or ‘Gender Pay Gap’. He took a firm stand for equal pay between men and women this time.

In the most recent interview, Rafael Nadal said that women and men should get equal pay. In fact, he took it a step further and explained that if a woman generates more revenue than a man, then she should even get more pay. This is where Serena Williams got a mention. In other words, if Serena Williams drives more people to the stadium, then her payment should be more. If that’s more then so be it. That will be fair.

Rafa Nadal says he supports equal pay for women in tennis & always has:

“For me, equality is not about giving away. If Serena generates more than me and fills stadiums, I don’t want to earn more than Serena because ‘he is Rafa Nadal.’ I want equality. I want women to earn more… pic.twitter.com/zTRjWxG96J

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 14, 2024

Rafael Nadal also believes that he has always believed and supported that in sports. The Serena Williams net worth is $300 million, which includes approximately $95 million in tennis prize money. She is richer than her sister Venus Williams and also richer than Maria Sharapova.

Despite this noble point of view of Rafael Nadal, fans are quick to point out that he didn’t quite show his support the last time an interviewer posed him with a gender pay gap question.

“What is your opinion on women earning less than men in tennis and what do you think is this based on?” asked a reporter to Nadal.

“Well, I don’t know. I don’t know what it is based on in soccer or golf or modeling. I do’t know. Why do women earn more than men in the fashion industry? Well, I don’t know. But then again, we don’t talk all day long about salary difference,” answered Rafael Nadal to the reporter.

Rafael Nadal was making the argument that different industries treat different people, based on their gender, differently in terms of salary. He had no idea why that was. A lot of tennis fans didn’t spare him much though for his comment and reminded him of it after his recent interview is going viral.

Always has… LOL
Question: “What is your opinion on women earning less than men in tennis?”
Nadal – “Why do women earn more than men in the fashion industry? But we don’t talk about it all day.” pic.twitter.com/IlmIVnWotc

— . A͟O͟¹⁰ (@NoleLondon) February 15, 2024

He does now, but we remember his initial thoughts, no?

— Pokey Baraka (@Radukinaa) February 14, 2024

Bruh he literally said they should earn it by generating more revenue and popularity and he didn’t say they should just get it if regardless lol

— aniballer (@aniballerz) February 14, 2024

“Always has” ? Sorry, but that is a lie. At least show the truth. Nadal did not “always” support equal pay for women. pic.twitter.com/TZklKVQvVN

— JANE (@JANE79591745) February 15, 2024

I think people don’t understand what equal pay means. It surely doesn’t mean taking money from male players and giving to women. Each sport is paid according to what it generates in revenue (tickets, TV rights, sport wear and gear sales etc). Women’s sports generate way less. pic.twitter.com/mlobbdBNXD

— Mihai C. (@coQueru) February 15, 2024

The post Rafael Nadal Lands in Hot Waters Again After Old ‘Women in Fashion Industry’ Interview Goes Viral appeared first on The SportsRush.

In it, Roddick said that if Saudi Arabia gets their way of hosting tennis events in the future, scheduling can be a nightmare for administrators of the game. Therefore, he provided a solution. But will the solution be good enough? Or are there more problems as proven by Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev inadvertently? Let’s find out.

That Saudi Arabia wants to take over the ATP calendar has been looming for quite some time now. With Rafael Nadal’s backing, and very soon Roger Federer’s probable shift of the Laver Cup there, the Middle Eastern country can rise to be a major powerhouse in tennis. This poses an immense threat to all the existing ATP 500 and ATP 250 series. Andy Roddick suggests that the Saudi Arabia-based event be conducted in February, right after the Australian Open.

However, right around the same time several ATP events already exist. Dallas Open, Open 13 Provence, Rotterdam Open, Delray Beach Open are some examples. The list of events just continuously flows one after another without any break. Therefore, it will be hard to find any room for any Saudi-based event there.

At the same time, Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev have backed out of the upcoming ATP 250 Qatar Open 2024. Taking place from 9-24 February, both Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev were playing in the tournament as per previous news. Medvedev was the top seed and Nadal found his place using the ‘Protected Ranking’ system.

While Nadal is still recovering from his hip tear, Medvedev has a foot injury and fatigue. He is also missing the Rotterdam Open due to it.

The Qatar Open will become an ATP 500 event next year onwards. With Saudi Arabia developing leaps and bounds in this sector, the Qatar Open could also be threatened. There are even talks of Saudi Arabia buying the top ATP events like Indian Wells and Miami Open. These events are a huge draw for players who wish to improve their rankings and earn bulk ATP points and big prize money. At Indian Wells, the prize money is $8,800,000 which is the same in the Miami Open as well.

With Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s backing, Saudi Arabia could shake things up in the tennis world big time

One of the reasons why tournaments and players are moving to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries is because of its lucrative value. Many players play exhibition matches there, and if they buy big ATP events, the prize money is likely to increase, which further increases their chances of going there. This is the reason, Rafael Nadal seems to have signed the estimated USD 750 million deal according to several media reports for 5 years in the country.

Saudia entering the tennis market big time will definitely warrant some strong decisions from players. They will have to choose from within the calendar and they might very well sacrifice the ATP events in Qatar and the UAE. When the competitions there get killed, they might warrant their own big shot tournaments. There are several pathways in which the future of tennis can unfold, all courtesy of Saudi Arabia.

The post Rafael Nadal And Daniil Medvedev Validate Latest Big Andy Roddick Claim On Future Of Tennis appeared first on The SportsRush.

“I wouldn’t consider him a friend. But someone familiar, with whom I have a great relationship,” said Nadal in that interview about Federer.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have had some endearing rivalries over the years, and some special moments on the court. They also hardly bad-mouthed each other. Therefore, it was easy to assume that the two of them were great friends. However, Nadal cites that their personal lives are different. This news is coming on the back of Novak Djokovic previously stating that he was never close with Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal either.

Both Djokovic and Federer have admitted that they aren’t close friends with each other. And now with Nadal’s confession, it is clear that there’s much more to their lives than what people think generally. Rafael Nadal, who is always known for his humility and discipline on the court, is also more of a complex person. He is not just a friend’s friend but knows to keep his professional boundaries as well as personal ones. Of Nadal’s best friends, fellow Spanish player David Ferrer is one of them.

One player who cracked the code of breaking into each of the Big Three’s friendship circles is Alexander Zverev. Although Zverev is going through some controversies, he spoke about his relationship with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in an interview in 2019.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Alexander Zverev said –

“I have a close relationship with Novak Djokovic, we live in Monaco, we spend time together, but I am even closer to Roger Federer. We are friends. He often talks to me, especially after tough losses. he gives me advice, he doesn’t do it for everybody.” 

In a different interview, Zverev added –

“About Rafael Nadal, he communicates less with other players, he usually spends time with Spaniards and his team. But I do not want to be misunderstood. He is a very good guy, he is always available when you ask him for something.”

These were Zverev’s cumulative views on the Big Three. But he didn’t end any of the interviews without mentioning that he is more focused on beating the Big Three.

Alexander Zverev considers Rafael Nadal hard to approach and took his friendship with Roger Federer very far

In his interview, although subtle, it was clear that Alexander Zverev meant Rafael Nadal is harder to approach than the other two of the Big Three. However, he didn’t want to say something wrong and quickly explained how nice and gentlemanly Rafael Nadal always is. However, his friendship and possibly idolatry with Roger Federer is a little too strong. Zverev once went to South America with Roger Federer for his exhibition match in 2019.

Zverev has also been a star player for Roger Federer’s European team at the Laver Cup whenever he plays. The Laver Cup was started by Roger Federer and his manager Tony Godsick, who are also looking to take it to the Middle East in the coming years.

The post Why Rafael Nadal Is Not Friends With Roger Federer And Novak Djokovic? Alexander Zverev Insight Provides Answer appeared first on The SportsRush.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal just proved that Novak Djokovic is perhaps accurate about why the Big Three are different from the current crop of players. Djokovic believes that he is closer with players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, etc since they are more communicative and expressive with each other. This is despite the fact that Djokovic is more than 10 years older than every single one of those players. Alcaraz, Sinner, and Zverev are 20, 22, and 26 years old respectively.

It could be the advent of social media as well, where people are constantly in touch with each other. Such was not the case when Djokovic first started and developed a rivalry with Federer and Nadal.

When Novak Djokovic started there was the Big Two, before the Big Three ever became a thing. Djokovic wasn’t easily welcomed, and he has spoken about this at length more than a few times. Federer didn’t like him at all when they started. He even openly criticized him after their 2006 Davis Cup clash, which started their everlasting rivalry. Djokovic wasn’t particularly close with Nadal either, since he felt that both of them united against him.

So, the only natural thing to assume was Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have grown closer to each other. But that’s not completely the case either, as was evident after Rafael Nadal’s most recent interview. The Spaniard explained that he has a lot of admiration for Federer and will always have but does not consider him a ‘friend’. This just proves that friendship, getting along, and overall camaraderie are far more prevalent now than it was before.

Why weren’t Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?

Is it simply easier to be friends now than it was before? That shouldn’t generally be the case, but more comparisons between the two generations indicate that point. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, for example, trained together at the former’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy in Spain back in December 2023 during the off-season. The two players knew each other before they turned professionals too, perhaps making the relation a lot smoother. This is even as it is believed that Alcaraz vs Sinner will be the next biggest rivalry in tennis once Djokovic and Nadal retire.

When it comes to the Big Three, it could also be the bubbling rivalry between them which led to insecurities and perhaps lack of trust in opening up with each other in order to not be found out. In many other fields as well, top performers might not be close at all off their professional setups even if they work with or against each other.

On top of that, each of their personalities clash with one another. While Roger Federer seems to be more elegant with a calm demeanor, Djokovic is renowned for having fun with pranks up his sleeve and on multiple occasions getting into a rift with fans and his opponents. Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, is a very private person off the court, who is likeable for being humble and dedicated to his craft. His lack of English-speaking skills as compared to Federer and Djokovic also do not help his case, as Nadal himself admitted last year that he does not have friends on the ATP Tour now.

All of these may be reason enough for their non-friendly relations. But they have always had great admiration and respect for each other and continue to have it. Rafael Nadal even called Novak Djokovic the greatest tennis player of all time in his recent interview.

The post Rafael Nadal Statement on Roger Federer Proves Novak Djokovic is Correct About One Controversial ‘Fedal’ Observation appeared first on The SportsRush.

Now, amidst all this hoopla, some heavy words of praise are coming in from Nadal himself for the youngster. Despite all the comparisons, Nadal believes Alcaraz is much better than he ever was at that age. In an interview with LaSexta, Nadal said that he didn’t have as much ability with his serving, volleying, backhand, hand-eye coordination, and many other features that Alcaraz already possesses. Most importantly, Nadal mentions that Alcaraz has this hunger of always wanting to face the best in the world, which Nadal never did in his young career.

Rafa Nadal says Alcaraz is better than he was at a lot of things when he was Carlos’ age:

“He’s a great kid. A very complete tennis player at his age, with very few weaknesses. At his age I had a worse serve, a worse volley, a worse backhand, I had many things worse than him at… pic.twitter.com/j0rSuYwi70

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 14, 2024

As far as the best in the world is concerned, Novak Djokovic takes the icing on that one. Carlos Alcaraz’s biggest victory last year was against Djokovic at the Wimbledon final. The 20-year-old won that match by 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 after a grueling five sets. Alcaraz also defeated Djokovic one more time at the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in Madrid. But the Serbian GOAT still has the upper hand over the young Spaniard. Djokovic won three times against Alcaraz – Roland Garros, ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, and Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, all in 2023.

Due to this intense rivalry that took birth between the two players of different generations, Alcaraz always has Djokovic on his mind. He always seems to prepare for a tournament, with the aim of beating beat Novak Djokovic. Hence, the urge to beat the world’s best. Many believe, unlike Nadal, that Alcaraz’s obsession with beating Djokovic is hindering his overall growth as a player after the 2023 Wimbledon win. Alcaraz lost in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open against Alexander Zverev and didn’t get a chance to face Djokovic this time.

How did Rafael Nadal actually fare in comparison to Carlos Alcaraz?

Ahead of the Netflix Slam in March 2024, the comparisons between Alcaraz and Nadal went rife. It was further exacerbated when those who researched found a lot of similarities between the two. Even though Rafael Nadal would love to be humble and hail Alcaraz above himself in every aspect.

They were both World No.2 when they were aged 20. Now, it’s Djokovic who is World No.1 and during Nadal’s time, it was Roger Federer. Nadal also won two Grand Slams by 20, just like Alcaraz did.

Nadal had more ATP titles than Alcaraz at 20, but the youngster won more matches against Top 10 players.

20&222 – Carlos #Alcaraz (aged today 20 years and 222 days):
ATP Ranking: #2
Grand Slam titles: 2
ATP titles: 12
Top-10 wins: 23

Rafael #Nadal at 20 years and 222 days:
ATP Ranking: #2
Grand Slam titles: 2
ATP titles: 17
Top-10 wins: 19

Duel.#TheNetflixSlam @MGMResortsIntl… https://t.co/9oBwpjgkRV

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) December 13, 2023

Rafael Nadal might be in awe of Carlos Alcaraz, but the 20-year-old still has a long way to go to be anywhere near Nadal in terms of achievements.

The post Rafael Nadal Trolls Critics For Slamming Carlos Alcaraz Over Novak Djokovic Rivalry Comments appeared first on The SportsRush.