Carlos Alcaraz is trying his best not to think about the Davis Cup finals and Rafael Nadal’s farewell.
The 21-year-old is likely to play an important role in the final tournament of the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s extraordinary career.
In October Nadal announced he will retire from professional tennis on home soil at an event where he has enjoyed plenty of success during his career.
But before Alcaraz tries to help Spain win the Davis Cup for the first time since 2019, he is focused on trying to win the ATP Finals for the first time.
What is Carlos Alcaraz not trying to do ahead of Rafael Nadal’s retirement?
Carlos Alcaraz is set for an emotional end to his season with Rafael Nadal set to retire after the Davis Cup finals. The World number three was inspired by his compatriot throughout career and the pair played doubles together at the Paris Olympics.
As difficult as it will be to see Nadal retire, Alcaraz wants to remain focused on the ATP Finals before travelling to Malaga for Nadal’s last event.
“For me it is difficult to accept that Rafael Nadal is going to retire, honestly,” Alcaraz told reporters before the ATP Finals commences in Turin.
“Right now or one week ago I was just focused on this tournament. I don’t know how it’s going to be at the Davis Cup.
“I am not feeling extra pressure about playing the Davis Cup, the last tournament for Rafa. I just want to go there and see how it’s going to be.
“I don’t want to think that it’s going to be like that or I am going to feel like that. I am just going to go there and see how it is.”
Will Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal play doubles at the Davis Cup finals?
It is currently unknown if Alcaraz and Nadal will play doubles together at the Davis Cup finals.
At the Paris Olympic Games they reached the quarter-finals where they were beaten by the American duo of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
In September, Spain’s Davis Cup captain David Ferrer commented on the possibility of them teaming up.
“I couldn’t say right now,” he said. “The good thing is that there are many possibilities of combining doubles depending on physical exhaustion, how the tie goes.
“We have a very strong team to achieve important things, but in this format, the competition evens out a lot. They (Nadal and Alcaraz) have a very good doubles team.
“You might have two good singles players, but if you lose one, things get much more complicated. Furthermore, it’s a very tough tournament, with the top eight players in the world.”
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