CNN
–
If 18th birthday appears to be an important adult opportunity, Carlos Alcaraz got a note. In front of the crowds of Madrid homes, the tennis star of the time supported himself to play one of the great players of the game for the first time.
Alkaraz spent his entire childhood idolised Rafael Nadal. Faced with the legendary Spaniard on his favourite clay surfaces produced a cocktail of emotions: excitement, exhilaration, as well as deep embracing fear.
“I was very scared,” Alcaraz said of the moment. “I couldn’t play. His presence, the atmosphere you feel – it’s incredible.”
Those nerves were hard to see for Nadal’s camp. Carlos Moya, a longtime former coach of the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, was able to feel it from the stands. A young player was suddenly overwhelmed and overwhelmed by his opponent.
However, despite a biased scoreline, Nadal managed to win 6-1, 6-2 at Madrid Clay, but Moya was impressed by the young Spaniard on the other side of the net.
“I found out he was special,” the former world No. 1 told CNN Sports. “He had all the shots… he was drop shots, volleys, or running. It was great to see.”
Four years after that match, Alcaraz’s raw talent came true. He is now a four-time Grand Slam champion and is a favorite to defend the French open title when the tournament begins on Sunday. This is an event that Nadal has ruled for the past 20 years.
He was second seeded behind Italian Janik Thinner, who is returning from doping suspension, but Alcaraz defeated his rival in the final of last week’s Italian Open. Prior to that, he won the Monttu Carlo Masters and reached the Barcelona Open final before losing to Holga Rune.
When he returns to Roland Garros to face veteran Japanese player Kay Nishikoli in the first round, Alcaraz does so by winning 15 of his 16 claycourt matches this season.
“He’s 22 years old so he has a bright future with a bright present before him. He has all the tools to win the slam,” says Moya.
“I think his game is great, and although he can play well everywhere, I think Clay is the best surface for him. He has all the shots to get it right with Clay. And, as he proved he won Monte Carlo and Roma last month, he is probably the biggest favorite of the French open.”
With Alcaraz and the sinner leading the charges in a male draw, this year’s tournament in Paris truly feels like the beginning of a new era. Nadal, an unprecedented 14-time champion in these courts, calls for the time of his career and instead will be recognized by organizers as play begins on Sunday.
Moyá, a former French Open champion who coached Nadal to eight grand slam titles, is there to absorb a tribute to his tournament’s favorite son. Nadal’s chance to acknowledge his incredible French open record – he lost four of four of his 116 matches at Pariklay – a lovely but painful farewell.
“It’s going to make for a strange feeling for me, but we’re going to enjoy it,” Moya says. “We had a great time with Rafa over the past eight years, he felt invincible, and he has great memories whenever we went there.
“It’s going to make you feel different, and I don’t think I’m watching much on TV because I’m not home.
Certainly, Moya admits that he hasn’t seen much tennis since Nadal said goodbye to the sport in November. He has yet to win another full-time coaching post, but has been named captain of his first Legend Team Cup. This is a new tour in which 15 not-long retired players have been drafted into three teams.
The tournament will be held next month on St. Barts Island in the Caribbean, but Moya’s team featuring 2020 US Open champion Dominictiem and former top 10 players Diego Schwartzmann and Fernando Verdasco will make their first appearance in New York in July.
“I was with Rafa and (he) probably played against everyone,” Moya says. “It will help me a little. And I want to give my team the right order. They are enough to play without the captain, but I will try to help. I will try to add my experience and I am really looking forward to it.”
The Legends Team Cup is a timely reminder that while the body of elite athletes may be fading over time, their desire to compete at a high level will not completely disappear.
“This is what we have in our blood. Make sure we win whatever it takes,” adds Moya. “Sometimes, you miss that competition.”
That same desire for competition may temporarily rekindle when Moya and Nadal return to Philippe Chatelier, a French open court on Sunday.
As they absorb the tribute and applause, both have the opportunity to see Alcaraz kick off his title defense. With Nadal in the stands and Alcaraz becoming a formidable force in the courts, it would be difficult to escape the sense that one tennis generation is finally giving way to the next tennis.
And if there is one thing two men have in common, the moya is summed up in mentality. “This never happens. They both have it,” he says.
Nadal built a fortress at the French Open. It feels ripe for Alcaraz to forge his legacy now.