Entername
Professional
Yeah if Alcaraz loses against Rafa it'll be because he couldn't hold serve enough times. Like young Rafa, Carlos needs to improve his serve going forward
Can Carlos Alcaraz beat Nadal?
- Thread starter Aabye5
- Start date
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Same for me. I had that exact same excitement watching Alcaraz as I did watch Nadal when he started. Having Ferrero and Spanish tennis behind him I think will keep him on a very good path. Excited to see.
tlm
G.O.A.T.
I agree that was some of the best tennis I have watched this year. Both played well but the Spaniard is scary good, I can definitely see him taking out Rafa.
He plays nothing like Nadal. He is actually a lot more like Djokovic style wise but with
Much more power. At the moment he makes a lot of UFEs but once those are ironed out if he avoids the pitfalls of celebrity and stays humble and works hard he could break the Nadal Slam Record in 15 years time
To beat Rafa he will need to hit his spots better on serve and cut down the FH ufes. Clearly he has all the tools to beat Rafa but this match up obviously is as much mental as between the lines. It's a bit Dart Vader v Obi One. Whether Alcaraz shakes hands saying '....now I am the master' on Saturday remains to be seen.
Subway Tennis
Legend
Agree, it's a very different style to Nadal.
However, they do share that combination of absolute brutal power while also having phenomenal touch and feel off the stringbed.
Alcaraz is so good at smacking the felt off the ball and then feathering a drop shot volley off the short reply.
Just an amazing mix of power and great hands which is a Nadal staple.
Very well said ...Korda,opelka and Kyrgios all had raw power to trouble Nadal but mentally they all choked with poor decision making in crucial phases of the match.
So even he is up a break he still has to consolidate it till the end of set...which korda and kyrgios failed to do.
Mentally Alcaraz is a replica of Nadal no doubt as well.
Indian wells due to the thin air and high bouncing conditions helps the tall big servers as it allows them to get the ball over head height. Rafa has had arguably the 3 hardest players in these conditions he could have got in those conditions.
Subway Tennis
Legend
Do you still think Nadal can get to 25 majors? I remember when you made that comment quite a while ago, before he was even in the 20s.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
Although Nadal sometimes seems defeated, he will never give up until the chair umpire says game, set and match.
He always (or almost) has an ace up his sleeve.
Nadal is definitely "a beautiful mind" and with that he is enough to win the vast majority of matches and against Alcaraz it will be no different.
He always (or almost) has an ace up his sleeve.
Nadal is definitely "a beautiful mind" and with that he is enough to win the vast majority of matches and against Alcaraz it will be no different.
vex
Legend
Bro... Alcaraz's groundstrokes look suspiciously like Djokovic's. He hits them with depth and accuracy. His serve needs work and I don't love the way he has adopted Rafa's return positioning from the first row of the stands... but he is the most accurate groundstroker the tour has seen since Djokovic. He's gonna be good. Really, really good.
Subway Tennis
Legend
Yeah, you could really see the height Opelka was getting. Some of his serves were going over the back wall off the bounce. When you return as far back as Nadal you are getting those serves pretty close to the height of the bounce, too.
Okay going out on a limb here. I am picking Alcaraz to win. In my experience form is everything. And I think Alcaraz is in the form of his life. The way is beat Monfils (who was in top form himself) tells me he is in the form to beat Nadal. He has practiced recently on hard court with Nadal so he has a sense of the game that will be brought to him.
Only tall guys with big serves can trouble Rafa in these IW type conditions we are seeing this hear. At Roland Garros only two players have ever really got close to beating a git Nadal and that is soderling who beat him and Isner. Djokovic 2013 does not count as Rafa was nowhere near fit that event yet he still won that match
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
To me he is very much like the young Nadal, with power, fight to win every point, movement and defense to offense, and even the arm pump celebration. Djo has always been lanky and flexible, but not as explosive to me.
It’s called a magical ‘duel’ my good Sir, most important factor or the question we should be asking is it one on one vs a ‘Peak-Dumbledore’ in possession of the elder-wand or is it vs a younger dumbledore yet to fathom his own powers and has not faced off Grindelwald yet, which version is Alcaraz facing? The surface also matters… mind you.
i’m sure somewhere we may find a post by @RS or @Nadal_King where we have a poll of ‘Peak Dumbledore vs Peak Alcaraz 10matches’ thread somewhere on ttw.
PrinceMoron
Legend
The best returner in the game will win.
So Alcatraz apparently
So Alcatraz apparently
Genious at Work
G.O.A.T.
The title of this thread should read "Can Nadal avoid being beaten by Alcaraz?"
L
LetWinner
Guest
Sure he can. All he has to do is beat Nadal’s vamos count
Well, for sure Carlito is special and spectacular.
But technique-wise, Alcaraz hits straight-arm FH, unlike Nole (and similar to Federer). On BH side are more alike, with way better BH DTL for Nole.
On topic: he definitely has a big chance now given he is fresher than Nadal who struggled.
Will he? Hard to say if mentally will be here for the occasion.
Bud
Bionic Poster
Indian Wells Tennis Garden is close to sea level.
The Big Foe fan
Hall of Fame
No no but in yellow/red/green/blue whatever tf
The Big Foe fan
Hall of Fame
Not really good to compare Alcaraz's BHDTL with the best BHDTL in history.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
2 points I want to make:
1. I think 2005 Nadal started the year better since the loss to Hewitt at the AO was better than Alcaraz's loss to Berrettini. Now can Alcaraz try to pull a Nadal and push Rafa to the limit at IW like Youngdal did in Miami against Fed?
2. The current ATGs are in their mid 30's so it's a better time for Alcaraz now than it was for Nadal in 2005 when Federer was right in the middle of his dominance and was definitely scarier than Djokovic and Nadal this year so far. But if you want to just look at the number of ATGs present, then 2005 also had 2 ATGs in Federer and Agassi.
Aabye5
G.O.A.T.
JP, you called this. We have match numero uno.
The_Mental_Giant
Hall of Fame
What about Domi if he gets back at RG?
James P
G.O.A.T.
I'm going against my earlier (probably more thoughtful) judgment that he "needs another year of dues paying" and seasoning. Picked Alcaraz in this up coming match.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
You’re overthinking. Trust your eyes and stop overanalyzing.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
I mean, Alcaraz is good and I've seen it with my own eyes, so no problems there.
Was just correcting some statements
initialize
Hall of Fame
Alcaraz compares his game to Federer actually. His forehand is closed to Fed’s than Nadal’s (but closer to Verdasco’s than either)
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Correcting? That’s pretty big of you. After all, they are just opinions, not facts.I mean, Alcaraz is good and I've seen it with my own eyes, so no problems there.
Was just correcting some statements
I’ll take Alcaraz’s USO’21 win over a #3 seed as a better accomplishment than a loss to a #3 seed. But that’s just my opinion and not a fact, Professor with a red pencil in his hand.
By quoting me and then adding your snide “just correcting some statements” line you are implying I am wrong and you are right. Stop lecturing from your high and mighty podium like you are right and others, including myself, are wrong.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Sorry, I didn't want to come off that way
All good.
onefineday
Hall of Fame
yes. But only because Nadal is injured.
D
Deleted member 788697
Guest
Alcaraz didn't look good enough to beat Nadal when I saw the Alcaraz-Norrie match.
Plus he'll probably play worse when he plays Nadal, because of the added tension.
Plus he'll probably play worse when he plays Nadal, because of the added tension.
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
I'm even more sure of it now.
Start da Game
Hall of Fame
nadal straight sets.....
NeutralFan
G.O.A.T.
@Jokervich what do you think? Can he? Whom will you be cheering?
ibbi
G.O.A.T.
Only thing standing in his way here might be the mental hurdle he'll have to overcome. Looking at the two of them play this week he can and absolutely should. Norrie had to play the match of his life yesterday just to try and keep up with the kid, and still couldn't even manage a set. Nadal can't move like that anymore.
Alcaraz is a world a way from the player he was when they met last year, and it's not on clay either. The one other thing working against him is this is going to be a day match, and I'm pretty sure all his matches have been night ones, so the conditions will be slightly more to Rafa's liking and what he's used to.
Alcaraz is a world a way from the player he was when they met last year, and it's not on clay either. The one other thing working against him is this is going to be a day match, and I'm pretty sure all his matches have been night ones, so the conditions will be slightly more to Rafa's liking and what he's used to.
Jokervich
Hall of Fame
No, because he will fail in the pressure moments/big points. I don't expect Nadal to lose, as much as people are hyping up Alcaraz.@Jokervich what do you think? Can he? Whom will you be cheering?
I'll be cheering Nadal personally, because I want the unbeaten streak to keep going so it allows Djokovic to be the one to end it.
NeutralFan
G.O.A.T.
No, because he will fail in the pressure moments/big points. I don't expect Nadal to lose, as much as people are hyping up Alcaraz.
I'll be cheering Nadal personally, because I want the unbeaten streak to keep going so it allows Djokovic to be the one to end it.
Slowly i am leaning towards total domination of Djokodal and want one of them to clinch the slam race , imagine salt and whinning here when Djokodal dominate Tennis till2024
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