'It’s a blessing to have a player like Alcaraz' - Carlos Alcaraz receives honourable comparisons to Rafael Nadal from former world number two

Carlos Alcaraz has received praise of the highest calibre from former world number two Alex Corretja, who compared his fellow countryman to 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal after enjoying an almost flawless season.

Not many people have been able to stop Alcaraz in his tracks this year, not even his on-court nemesis Jannik Sinner on a consistent basis, losing in four out of five meetings against the Spaniard. That one win, and Alcaraz's lowest moment of the year, came at Wimbledon, where he lost his crown to the Italian.

He avenged this disappointment with his second title at Flushing Meadows, adding a US Open title to the memorable Roland Garros final triumph, where he produced one of the greatest comebacks the sport has ever seen. To add to that, he has won the last three Masters 1000 titles he has participated in: Monte-Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati, along with triumphs in the 500 events at Rotterdam and Queens.

This has seen him leap back to the number one ranking ahead of Sinner, with him looking to extend that lead in the ongoing Japan Open. Already having taken down Sebastian Baez, Zizou Bergs, and Brandon Nakashima in fine fashion, he defeated three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud in the semi-final to set up a showdown against Taylor Fritz in the final.

Corretja lauds Alcaraz

Alcaraz is not likely to be shy to praise by now, with everyone in the tennis world wanting to give him a pat on the back. The latest comes in the form of fellow countryman Corretja lavishing the 22-year-old with compliments. The Spaniard reached as high as number two in the world in 1999, and is a two-time Grand Slam finalist, failing to clinch the Roland Garros title on two occasions. Speaking to Bolavip, Corretja compared Alcaraz to Nadal, while labelling him as 'a gift to the sport'.

“It’s a blessing to have a player like Carlos Alcaraz. He is truly a gift to the sport," he said. "It is nearly a miracle to be honest. We have had so many great players in the past, but after Rafael Nadal, our legend of the sport, all of a sudden we have Carlos who is comparable. He is winning Grand Slams, he is the world No. 1. It is something very unexpected and very fortunate for us to have him.”

He went on to encourage fellow tennis fans in Spain to 'appreciate' what he is doing, mentioning how hard it is to be this dominant in such a competitive sport. “It is good for our sport and our country. I think we really need to appreciate it, because what he is doing is very, very difficult and he is only 22 years old and has already won six Grand Slams.”

He went on to admit that Alcaraz will not stop at six majors: "He will win many more Grand Slams in the future. Everybody loves him, because he is so natural. He is so humble and simple, and he says whatever he feels. He is very straightforward and acts very well. He is very unique.”