Rafael Nadal is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest player of tennis. He has set certain records which are impossible to be broken in the near future. Nadal can be considered the signature of someone with resilience and a never say never attitude.
In 2022 alone, he won the Australian Open and the Rolland Garros title. And the most surprising part of all this is that he was not even the favorite to win this, rather he was considered as one among the underdogs. He still managed to win these titles and have a great season while fighting injuries as well.
On the other hand, there is the young star and current No.1 on the ATP Rankings, Carlos Alcaraz.
Carlos probably had the best season of his life. He not only managed to win three ATP titles but also went on to win the US Grand Slam title by beating Casper Rudd which also gave him the No.1 rank.
Even though Carlos has a long way to go in order to match or even come close to Nadal’s achievements, there is one record or title held by Alcaraz that has long eluded Rafael, the Miami Open.
Rafael has reached the finals of the Miami Open 5 times in the past during 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017, however, he fell short each time and could not win the title. Carlos won the Miami Open title this year and from then onwards he has just been unstoppable.
Rafael Nadal competing with Carlos Alcaraz for the No.1 Spot
After Carlos defeated Casper Rudd to win the US Open, he was immediately crowned as the No.1 in the ATP rankings.
However, Rafa has been chasing him and breathing down his neck for the famed No.1 spot. There were even speculations about a rivalry brewing between the fellow Spaniards, however, both of them were quick to dismiss them.
Carlos said that Rafa is not the enemy and he continues to give his best to retain his No.1 spot and win titles in the future. Nadal also said that he is not actively seeking the No.1 spot and all he wants to do is play his best tennis.
With the ongoing Paris Masters, we will surely know the outcome of the race for the No.1 spot as Nadal may be able to grab it from Carlos in case he runs deep into the tournament or potentially defeats Carlos.
