Alcaraz, who hails from the Murcia region of Spain and is a clay court specialist, has naturally drawn comparisons to his compatriot and idol Nadal.
But while the 19-year-old has a great deal of respect for the player he looked up to growing up, Alcaraz has no desire to be called ‘the next Nadal’ or ‘mini-Nadal’ as is more the case these days as once happened his young career.
He has certainly come a long way to achieve this.
After winning his first ATP title in 2021, Alcaraz has continued to flourish in 2022, winning four titles – including two Masters 1000 tournaments – to lift the rankings to No. 4 in the world.
“I mean, it all came so quickly, two Masters 1000 titles — one on hard, one on clay,” he told CNN’s Don Riddell in May.
“So when someone told me at the beginning of the season that I was going to win these tournaments – Barcelona too – I didn’t believe it, I didn’t believe them. For me I don’t know what to say about what has been an incredible month for me.
“It’s good that everyone will be talking about you and seeing your game. For me it’s pretty good. But it gives me a lot of strength to play in the best stadiums against the best players in the world. So for me it’s that. ” Pretty cool.”
He entered this year’s French Open in sensational form and was tipped by many as one of the favorites to win, but lost to Zverev in the quarterfinals.
Now he has reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament in New York for the first time and, as the top-placed man in the draw, will be the favorite to win the first major title of his career.
“I feel great to be in my first semi-final in a Grand Slam,” said Alcaraz after his epic five-set win over Janek Sinner. “I’ll feel better if I reach the semifinals here at the US Open… This tournament is amazing. The audience is incredible, I would say the best in the world. I mean, the energy I get at 3 a.m. on this pitch was unbelievable.”
“Cinderella Story”
Tiafoe, five years older than Alcaraz, won his first ATP title in 2018 and many believed it would be a win that would spark a rapid rise to the top.
Though still touted as a rising star, that rise has been steady rather than meteoric. Last month, Tiafoe hit a career high at No. 24 in the world – he’s currently 26th – and this year he’s shown flashes of the quality many predicted would take him to the top.
But make no mistake, given Tiafoe’s disappointing form coming to the US Open, there was no indication he would make a deep run in New York. However, the hard-hitting Washington, DC native has mentioned more than once how Arthur Ashe’s home support has spurred him to new heights.
By winning his quarterfinals, Tiafoe became the first black American to reach a US Open semifinals since Ashe in 1972.
His father, Constant Tiafoe, started working at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Washington in 1999 and eventually moved into one of the vacant storage rooms while working around the clock.
His two twins, Frances and Franklin, sometimes stayed with him and slept on a massage table while their mother worked night shifts as a nurse.
The unusual entry into the sport gave Tiafoe the opportunity to begin developing his skills, and once he began training at the facility he has not looked back.
“Obviously I wasn’t the wealthy kid or didn’t have all the new stuff or whatever. But I just lived life. I could play tennis for free, the sport I loved,” he told CNN Sports in 2015, adding that he wouldn’t change his upbringing for the world.
He was asked on Wednesday what message he wanted people to take from his story.
“I mean, honestly, anyone can do it,” he said, adding that tennis is his passion and obsession. “Of course it’s a cliché, but I think when you’re really passionate about something … Everyone has a gift.”
Now that Alcaraz has expended so much energy, the American has a golden opportunity to continue his run and he will surely have the support of the home crowd.
“That stuff definitely gets me emotional. Seeing people scream your name, just loving what you do. That’s great. That’s what it’s about,” Tiafoe told reporters after the game.
“You know, everyone loves a Cinderella story. [I’m] I’m just trying to make one.”