Carlos Alcaraz plea made by Rafael Nadal's uncle after latest injury scare
Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni gave his verdict on Carlos Alcaraz's disappointing run after the 20-year-old got injured in Rio.
Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach has sent tennis fans a plea after Carlos Alcaraz’s woes continued with a new setback. The 20-year-old has not won a title since Wimbledon last July and suffered some disappointing defeats at the start of 2024 before retiring injured in Rio. Toni Nadal still believes that Alcaraz is the “best” and wants the tennis world to be patient with the world No. 2.
Alcaraz has had a disheartening start to the season by his standards. The Spaniard crashed out in the quarter-final of the Australian Open and admitted that, while it was a good run, it wasn’t enough for him. He was then beaten in the Buenos Aires semi-final and was forced to retire just two games into his opening match at last week’s Rio Open when he turned his ankle.
The two-time Grand Slam champion later announced that he had picked up a grade II lateral sprain. But he will still be able to compete in this weekend’s Netflix Slam exhibition match against Rafael Nadal as well as the Indian Wells Masters, where he is the reigning champion.
As his title drought continues, Nadal’s uncle Toni wants tennis fans to “trust” that the 20-year-old will prove that he is the best. “No, Alcaraz is very young,” the 63-year-old told AS when asked whether Alcaraz was going through a bad run of form.
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Referencing Alcaraz’s Australian Open defeat to Alexander Zverev, Toni added: “I think he is the best. And well, he gave up a match there with Zverev that he could lose. You have to continue trusting him. I believe that he will continue to bring a lot of joy to Spanish tennis.”
However, Nadal’s former coach also thinks that Alcaraz will have his work cut out for him with the emergence of another new rival - Jannik Sinner. The pair have already contested seven matches and have a good relationship off the court. But Sinner has become the man to beat in recent months.
The 22-year-old won his maiden Grand Slam title in Australia last month and is unbeaten in 2024, also lifting the trophy in Rotterdam. Sinner has lost just two matches since the US Open and ended last year by winning Vienna, Basel and the Davis Cup for Italy.
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And Toni believes the world No. 3 is a new man since his Australian Open triumph. “In Sinner, from now on, Alcaraz will have a tough rival,” he said. “He already was before, but after winning, he has extra confidence. And I think we will see great confrontations between the two.”
Alcaraz will be hoping that Sinner’s winning run comes to an end in Indian Wells. The 20-year-old will bid to defend his title when the tournament kicks off next week, which would put an end to his period without titles. The world No. 2 has not reached a final since the Cincinnati Masters in August - another unwanted streak he’ll want to snap.
First, he will take on Toni’s nephew in an exhibition match in Las Vegas this weekend. Alcaraz and Nadal will headline ‘The Netflix Slam’ on Sunday - their first match since the 20-year-old defeated his idol at the 2022 Madrid Masters.