In the last few hours, Spanish tennis fans have received a double heavy blow. Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, the old and the new advancing on the professional circuit, have announced the withdrawal from the Montecarlo Masters 1000, the first major tournament on red clay and a tournament that will begin on April 9th.
The 41-year-old Spanish tennis player and director of the Mutua Madrid Open Feliciano Lopez is now one step away from retiring from the circuit. In these hours the athlete spoke to Eurosport microphones and spoke about the upcoming season on red clay.
Here are his words: “I trust that Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will do very well in the next tournaments. I hope that Carlos will take the field in Madrid and Rafa too, if in good physical condition, will be competitive to win the tournament.
In 2023 we can say with certainty that there is no real favorite for the clay court season.” Lopez then spoke of the development of the sport and specifically of tennis in Spain, a situation that experiences ups and downs and which sometimes puts the Government in the crosshairs of criticism.
This is why the expert tennis player commented: “Two tennis players like Rafa and Carlos are present in this sport and should serve as an invitation to the Spanish Government and companies to bet on this sport.”
Rafa and Carlos out form the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters
Feliciano Lopez defined both as an example and one more possibility for the movement to grow in this extraordinary sport.
With an announcement almost simultaneously, Alcaraz and Nadal explained the reason for the absences, with both struggling with constant physical problems. Nadal is stopped from the Australian Open, a physical problem that arose in the match valid for the second round of the tournament against the American Mackenzie McDonald.
A real sort of curse with Nadal, Djokovic and Alcaraz almost never together in the same tournament. From the physical problems of the Spaniards to the exclusions of the Serbian champion, who returned to number one this week after the defeat of Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Miami Open. They should come back between Madrid and the Roland Garros.
