Carlos Alcaraz 'something special' but David Ferrer wary of Rafael Nadal 'big burden'

David Ferrer has warned the "special" Carlos Alcaraz of the perils of having to follow Spanish compatriot Rafael Nadal. At just 18, Alcaraz has already cemented a reputation as a future star of the sport, having won three ATP titles in 2022 in Rio, Miami, and Barcelona, and risen up to No.9 in the world rankings in the process.

Inevitably, that has drawn comparisons with Spanish compatriot Nadal. The 35-year-old defied the odds at the start of the year when he beat Daniil Medvedev to claim the Australian Open and become the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.

Prior to that, he had already won the Summer Set, and also went on to win the Mexican Open before reaching the final at Indian Wells. There, however, his winning run was ended by Taylor Fritz, after which he revealed he had suffered a stress fracture in his rib.

Nadal will return to action next week at the Madrid Open, with the draw throwing up the possibility of a mouth-watering quarter final between him and Alcaraz. And ahead of that potential clash, another Spaniard, former pro-player David Ferrer, has described how he first noted the potential of the youngster four years ago.

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Having rallied with Alcaraz and played a tie-break against him, Ferrer said he immediately realised the talent on show: "I'm not saying it to look clever, but right then I saw something special in him, something different to any other player."

Nadal was the same age as Alcaraz when he broke into the world's top 10, and Ferrer, a 2013 French Open finalist, said he saw similarities. However, he also warned: "But I don't like comparing them, because what Rafa has done is huge. He's a legend of