Carlos Alcaraz has been hailed by Spanish media and fans since he rose to prominence in 2021 as the "Nadal's heir", a brilliant tennis player hoping to recapture the fascination the public had on Rafa Nadal for two decades. A such, everything he makes will be compared to Rafa, like this moment, when Alcaraz was seen meticulously lining up water bottles in an exhibition match against De Miñaur before Australian Open.
The moment went viral on social media, with user Swisha Tennis saying that "the spirit of Rafa Nadal will forever live on". Nadal was known as very maniacal and had lots of "tics", almost to the point of making them "rituals", like adjusting his underwear or touching his ears and nose in the same order before every point (many believe they could be diagnosed as OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorders).
Alcaraz, asked about that by El País in a press conference in Australia, joked: "If before they used to call me "mini-Rafa", now, well... It's not exactly a tic, I simply like to keep them well aligned; not as much as Rafa, obviously, because he needs to leave them perfect... [laughs]. But I always try to ensure that they are aligned and not disorganized".
On Monday, Carlos Alcaraz started the Australian Open with a victory, despite being "disconnected" during the second set, almost loosing it. But he has prevailed, and will play next against Japanese player Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday.