Rising Spanish star Carlos Rublev revealed Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev were the two players that impressed him the most during practice sessions.
Alcaraz, 18, had a chance to train with Nadal several times as the record 21-time Grand Slam champion took the 18-year-old under his wing.
Nadal, a former world No. 1, is helping Alcaraz by giving him advice as he is hoping the 18-year-old unlocks his enormous potential to the fullest.
Besides Nadal, Rublev was the players that also impressed Alcaraz during a practice.
“The truth is that it is difficult for me to be surprised because I know almost all the players on the tour, but if I have to point out something, I remember that the first time I trained with Rafa, it surprised me a lot. At the end of the day, the first time you train with a player, you are always surprised by certain things about his game, but I would say that Rafa and Rublev are the ones who have impressed me the most,” Alcaraz said, per We Love Tennis.
Alcaraz gets his wish fulfilled
The Centre Court in Barcelona was named after Nadal.
Alcaraz, who recently won his maiden Masters title in Miami, was dreaming of one day becoming a pro and playing on Pista Rafael Nadal.
“I played this tournament (Barcelona), the under 14, and I remember [watching] the matches, the players around the locker room,” Alcaraz told Tennis TV. “Players, I mean, Rafa Nadal I saw playing here, [Roberto] Bautista [Agut], [Pablo] Carreno [Busta]. Yeah, I always wished to play in the Rafa Nadal court, to play against the best players of the world. And I remember [saying]: ‘One day, one day I will play in there.'”
Alcaraz is one of the most promising players on the tour and some are calling him the new Nadal.
Also, some believe Alcaraz could emulate Nadal and win his maiden Grand Slam as a teenager.