Nothing to worry, Nadal on Alcaraz’s defeats

Dubai: Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal downplayed concerns after Carlos Alcaraz’s two recent defeats, insisting there is no reason for alarm.

“We’re not going to worry about two defeats, they’re pointless,” he said while receiving an honorary doctorate at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Alcaraz enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2026 season, defeating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final to become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam, surpassing his idol Nadal’s record. The 22-year-old then won the Qatar Open and extended his winning streak to 17 matches, reaching the semi-finals of Indian Wells before losing in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev.

The world No 1 began the Miami Open strongly with a straight-sets win over rising star Joao Fonseca, but then fell 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to unseeded Sebastian Korda.

Those two losses have sparked questions about Alcaraz’s form, but Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, said such reactions are understandable yet unnecessary.

“He’s achieving things for Spanish sport that would have been hard to imagine 30 years ago. I never lose sight of what everything he does means. We’re not going to worry about the two defeats,” Nadal said.

“Everyone, no matter how successful, has the right to feel frustrated or tired on a given day. I think he would have preferred not to show it, and he probably didn’t like seeing himself like that, but it’s understandable.”

“When you win the Australian Open and become world No. 1, what do people expect? That you’ll win every match? Of course not. We should all congratulate and thank Carlos for what he’s doing,” Nadal added taking a dig at the critics.

Alcaraz is expected to take a short break after Miami, likely returning at the Monte Carlo Masters. He may face added pressure in the ATP rankings as the defending champion, while world No. 2 Jannik Sinner has no points to defend.

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