Nadal – Alcaraz: succession duel at the Caja Mágica

When Carlos Alcaraz wins a point on the center court of the Caja Mágica, people applaud him. If you lose it, too. They do it almost instinctively, the result of the illusion that a very young Spanish player gives off called to take over, sooner rather than later, the relief of the greatest of the circuit. Carlos is a daring, humble tennis player and, above all, extremely talented both on a purely tennis and mental level. Therein lie his chances of reaching the top, of making a difference as Rafael Nadal has been doing for 16 years, with whom he will fulfill a dream this Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open. Nadal and Alcaraz are measured in the one that clearly It will be the star match of the second round of the Madrid tournament. Carlos, who on Monday beat Mannarino for the first time in the final draw of a Masters 1000, will have the best gift for his 18th birthday, which is just this May 5, which will become a historic date, the first match official between the king of Spanish tennis and his more than probable heir. Whims of fate, the final draw of the Mutua Madrid Open placed a potential second-round duel between the current number two in the ATP ranking and the 120, which will once again advance places in a meteoric progression that points to the top. Rafa’s presence was assured due to his status as the top seed of the box, but Alcaraz had to win the position before all a veteran like Mannarino. The response of El Palmar could not be better, with a 6-4, 6- Or that threw him towards the crossing dreamed of with his idol.”For me playing with Rafa is going to be a dream come true, I have always wanted to measure myself against him and I will do so when I am 18 years old,” said young Carlos at the foot of the court, who will be able to enjoy the gift of taking on the best tennis player Spaniard of all times, with whom he has already trained in Australia and who watches him closely, with the responsibility of the one who controls his successor at the head of the Navy.The obligation to win falls exclusively on the arms of a Nadal who wants to lift the Madrid title again, a tournament that he has won up to five times but in which he has not been crowned since 2017. Then, Rafa beat a Dominic Thiem who will be one of his great rivals for the conquest of the Masters 1000 of the capital, one of his favorite tournaments and in which he has a special first obstacle, a debut with a scent of the future and succession that will delight the public who sit down to enjoy tennis at the Manolo Santana Stadium.