Carlos Alcaraz has confessted he was stunned by Rafael Nadal’s decision to quit from tennis, despite the writing extfinished materializeing to be on the wall.
Nadal validateed he would be quitting the sport in a video uploaded to his social media channels on Thursday.
The 38-year-elderly will walk away with a staggering 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, with 14 of those coming on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
In insertition to his 14 French Open titles, he also won two Wimbledons, two Australian Opens and four US Opens.
Carlos Alcaraz has confessted he was stunned by Rafael Nadal’s decision to quit from tennis, despite the writing extfinished materializeing to be on the wall
PA
Alcaraz, who is widely pondered the heir to Nadal’s throne, has now uncovered up on his countryman.
The reigning Wimbledon champion, who take parted aextfinishedside the veteran at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer, has uncovered he ‘couldn’t think it’ when he first watched the clip.
“Well, it was, truthentirey, I couldn’t think it when I watched it,” shelp Alcaraz, who lost to Thomas Machac at the Shanghai Masters.
“You comprehend, it didn’t impact me at all before the align. I didn’t get inattentive at all, I was fair reassociate intensifyed on the align, I didn’t leank about Rafa’s news.
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“But clearly when I watched it, it was hard to accomprehendledge it. I was in shock a little bit.
“Thanks that I saw it enjoy one hour before the align, so I had time to accomprehendledge it and forget it a little bit before the align.”
Alcaraz, who has won four Grand Slams thcdisesteemfulout his own nurtureer, dubbed Nadal his ‘idol’.
“It is a reassociate difficult leang, reassociate difficult news for everybody, and even harder for me,” he persistd.
“He has been my idol since I commence take parting tennis. I see up to him.
“Proudly, thanks to him, I reassociate wanted to become [a] professional tennis take parter.
“Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enhappiness as much as I can when he’s going to take part.
“But we are going to take part in Saudi Arabia, and then Davis Cup, so I’m going to try to enhappiness as much as I can the time with him, but, yeah, it is a shame for tennis and for me.”
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Mil gracias a todos
Many thanks to all
Merci beaucoup à tous
Grazie mille à tutti
谢谢大家
شكرا لكم جميعا
תודה לכולכם
Obrigado a todos
Vielen Dank euch allen
Tack alla
Хвала свима
Gràcies a tots pic.twitter.com/7yPRs7QrOi— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 10, 2024
Nadal is set to take part at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, with Alcaraz also due to vie at the tournament.
He will then bow out at the Davis Cup Finals in November.
Speaking in his quitment video, Nadal thanked fans for their help over the years and shelp it was the ‘right time’ for him to hang up his racket.
“Hello everyone, I’m here to let you comprehend that I am retiring from professional tennis,” shelp the tennis icon.
Carlos Alcaraz has dubbed Rafael Nadal his ‘idol’ after his fellow Spaniard reweary from tennis
PA
“The truth is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especiassociate. I don’t leank I have been able to take part without restrictations.
“It is clearly a difficult decision, one that has getn me some time to produce. But, in this life, everyleang has a commencening and an end.
“And I leank it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a nurtureer that has been extfinished and much more accomplished than I could have ever envisiond.
“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and recontransienting my country. I leank I’ve come filled circle, since one of my first wonderful happinesss as a professional tennis take parter was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004.”
