Martin Landaluce is one of Spain’s rising stars on the ATP Tour, and he has shown just why at the Miami Open.
Landaluce is the only Spanish player remaining in the singles draw at the Miami Open, after Carlos Alcaraz lost to Sebastian Korda.
Getting revenge for his compatriot, Landaluce beat Korda in his very next match and is now into the Miami Open quarterfinals.
While they are at very different stages of their career right now, Landaluce has spent a lot of time with Alcaraz and was ‘amazed’ by something when he met him for the first time.
Martin Landaluce first met Carlos Alcaraz at the Madrid Open in 2022
Landaluce first met Alcaraz at the 2022 Madrid Open, when he was just 16 years old.
Alcaraz was also a teenager at this point, having turned 19 years old during this tournament, but he was already a big name after winning the Miami Open.
When speaking about Alcaraz in 2024, Landaluce admitted that he was ‘amazed’ by how down to earth he was when they first met, as he then explained that they had a good relationship.
“I have a really good relationship with Carlos,” Landaluce told the atptour.com. “We’ve been in contact for years and have the same manager.
“When I first met him, I was amazed by how down-to-earth he was. It was at the Masters 1000 in Madrid and everyone wanted to take photos with him, but he was just so relaxed. It really struck me how normal he was.
“He’s an amazing guy, and I think that’s part of the reason he’s been so successful. We hit together for the first time in Madrid in 2022 when I was doing sparring.”
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Alcaraz and Landaluce both went on to achieve Grand Slam success for Spain later on that year after they first met.
At the 2022 US Open, Alcaraz would win his first Grand Slam title, while Landaluce would win the junior title.
How Martin Landaluce said he felt when he hit with Rafael Nadal for the first time
Not only does Landaluce have a relationship with one multiple-time Grand Slam champion from Spain in Alcaraz, but he also has a strong affiliation with Rafael Nadal.
Landaluce moved from Madrid at the age of 14 years old to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where he spent a lot of time training before turning professional.
Having trained with Nadal for the first time at the age of 14, Landaluce later admitted that this was one of the rare times he got nervous.
“I grew up watching Rafa, and we’d talk about him at home, discussing his matches at the dinner table,” said Landaluce.
“When I was eight or nine, I was glued to the TV, watching his every match. Then, at 14, I hit with him for the first time. It was unbelievable, stepping on court with someone I had idolised for years. It was incredibly inspiring.”
“It was pure excitement,” Landaluce said with a grin. “I don’t usually get nervous in those situations. But hitting with Rafa was something else. His power, his consistency, it was like nothing I’d ever seen. For the first 10 minutes, he doesn’t care if he misses, but then after that, he doesn’t miss a single shot for the next hour. Every ball is hit with perfect depth, just a meter or two over the net. It was incredible.”
Landaluce added, “I’m very grateful for everything Rafa has done for me. He’s given me so much advice, and I’ve learned a lot from him. It’s been amazing to spend time with him.”
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Nadal has been retired for nearly two years now, and Landaluce is hoping to do something his idol was never able to by winning the Miami Open.
Landaluce is three wins away from achieving this feat, with his next opponent being Jiri Lehecka.
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