BERLIN: Carlos Alcaraz has admitted to being starstruck when he first faced Rafael Nadal, saying that facing the 22-time Grand Slam champion was “kind of a nightmare”.

Speaking in Berlin on Thursday ahead of the Laver Cup, the 21-year-old Alcaraz reflected on his on-court battles with fellow Spaniard Nadal.

“It was a huge thing when I played him for the first time,” said the world number three. “The other times for me were kind of a nightmare.”

Alcaraz already has four Grand Slam titles, winning his first at the 2022 US Open in the same year Nadal won his most recent major at the French Open.

Nadal, 38, was set to take the court alongside Alcaraz in Berlin, but pulled out due to his continued struggles with injury.

“Playing against Rafa is always tough. Every time for me it was a privilege to share the court,” added Alcaraz.

“Every time I faced him, I tried to be a good enough player to beat him.”

There was speculation Nadal may retire from the sport at the Laver Cup, as great rival Roger Federer had done two years ago, but he is set to continue.

Alcaraz will play doubles alongside German Alexander Zverev for Team Europe at the tournament, with their first clash coming against Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton for Team World.

Preparing to play on home soil, Zverev said of Alcaraz: “It’s a privilege to share the court with a legend of our sport already.”

The two have clashed three times in 2024, including in the French Open final, which Alcaraz won in five sets.

“I think it’s amazing to hear my team-mates call me a tennis legend, but I try not to think about it,” said Alcaraz.

“Above all, what makes you a legend in tennis is what you contribute to the sport and how you try and take tennis to the top, to be heard in every corner of the world.

“To attract the largest possible audience, to people who have never seen tennis in their lives, thanks to you they watch it on TV or start to play, that makes you a legend, apart from the tournaments you have won and the success you have.”

Team Europe won the first four Laver Cups, starting in 2017, but Team World have won the past two.

Alcaraz has the most Grand Slam titles of any current player besides Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Team World captain John McEnroe, who this week called Alcaraz “the biggest breath of fresh air we’ve had in the sport in 10 years”, said Thursday the emergence of a next generation of talent meant the men’s game was in good hands.

“We were just watching the three greatest players who ever lived,” McEnroe said. “(We thought) what’s gonna happen? And suddenly, things seem to be doing OK. We’ve got some energy in our sport and this event helps with it.”

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024