Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he was stunned by Rafael Nadal's decision to retire from tennis, despite the writing long appearing to be on the wall.
Nadal confirmed he would be quitting the sport in a video uploaded to his social media channels on Thursday.
The 38-year-old will walk away with a staggering 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, with 14 of those coming on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
In addition to his 14 French Open titles, he also won two Wimbledons, two Australian Opens and four US Opens.
Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he was stunned by Rafael Nadal's decision to retire from tennis, despite the writing long appearing to be on the wall
PA
Alcaraz, who is widely considered the heir to Nadal's throne, has now opened up on his countryman.
The reigning Wimbledon champion, who played alongside the veteran at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer, has revealed he 'couldn't believe it' when he first watched the clip.
“Well, it was, honestly, I couldn’t believe it when I watched it,” said Alcaraz, who lost to Thomas Machac at the Shanghai Masters.
“You know, it didn’t affect me at all before the match. I didn’t get distracted at all, I was just really focused on the match, I didn’t think about Rafa’s news.
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“But obviously when I watched it, it was tough to accept it. I was in shock a little bit.
"Thanks that I saw it like one hour before the match, so I had time to accept it and forget it a little bit before the match."
Alcaraz, who has won four Grand Slams throughout his own career, dubbed Nadal his 'idol'.
“It is a really difficult thing, really difficult news for everybody, and even tougher for me," he continued.
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"He has been my idol since I start playing tennis. I look up to him.
“Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become [a] professional tennis player.
"Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he’s going to play.
“But we are going to play in Saudi Arabia, and then Davis Cup, so I’m going to try to enjoy as much as I can the time with him, but, yeah, it is a shame for tennis and for me.”
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Mil gracias a todos
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 10, 2024
Many thanks to all
Merci beaucoup à tous
Grazie mille à tutti
谢谢大家
شكرا لكم جميعا
תודה לכולכם
Obrigado a todos
Vielen Dank euch allen
Tack alla
Хвала свима
Gràcies a tots pic.twitter.com/7yPRs7QrOi
Nadal is set to play at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, with Alcaraz also due to compete at the tournament.
He will then bow out at the Davis Cup Finals in November.
Speaking in his retirement video, Nadal thanked fans for their support over the years and said it was the 'right time' for him to hang up his racket.
"Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis," said the tennis icon.
Carlos Alcaraz has dubbed Rafael Nadal his 'idol' after his fellow Spaniard retired from tennis
PA
"The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.
“And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I’ve come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004.”
