Carlos Alcaraz warned over 'totally crazy' Rafael Nadal-like fever at Barcelona Open

Carlos Alcaraz has been told he must "learn to deal with" his newfound fame and hype after causing the same type of frenzy as Rafael Nadal at the Barcelona Open. Former world No 2 Alex Corrteja warned his fellow Spaniard that his week at the ATP 500 event would be "very important" but admitted he had no doubt that the 18-year-old would learn to handle the pressures of becoming a top player and big star in his home country.

Alcaraz recently made history as the youngest man ever to win the Miami Open, a month shy of his 19th birthday. The world No 11 is now back on home soil for the first time since becoming a Masters 1000 champion as the fifth seed at the Barcelona ATP 500, three years after he arrived at the event as a 15-year-old qualifier and lost to Pedro Sousa.

Three years later, he is the hot ticket in Barcelona as the world No 11 and recent Miami Open winner, and retired former pro Alex Corretja has fired a warning to the teenager who is causing Nadal levels of frenzy at the tournament. "It's a new life for Alcaraz. I mean he's not the same as two months ago or not even two weeks ago," the two-time French Open finalist told Eurosport.

Explaining how the home crowd was going "totally crazy" for the 18-year-old, he continued: "He is creating in Barcelona the same feeling as we had with Nadal 10, 15 years ago where everybody wanted to see Nadal like 'oh, Nadal is coming'. So it's like 'okay, Alcaraz is playing Wednesday at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.' Everything is sold out, everybody wants to go and see Alcaraz."

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Corretja said the Miami Open champion would need the help of his coach, former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, to learn to deal