Watch: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” Spanish ace Carlos Alcaraz follows in the footsteps of his idol Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz copies Rafael Nadal’s run-up right before the warmup.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz (Via Imago/X)

Carlos Alcaraz stuns the crowd as he pulls off a Rafael Nadal run at the Madrid Open. Alcaraz, before starting the match, also alludes to his idol, in the same stadium that had previously honored Nadal during his final appearance at the Madrid Open.

The Spaniard was up against Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open. Just after the toss, Alcaraz ran back to his side of the court to start the warmup.

However, his run-up was similar to that of his idol Nadal. With the same jump and sprint technique, Alcaraz stirred up the crowd with a little move.

Perhaps it was his way of paying tribute to Nadal, but the fans sure seemed to love Alcaraz’s copy the best in the clay court business. Some may even say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” as Alcaraz geared up for an all-exciting match against Rublev.

Hours before this, Rafael Nadal had lost to Jiri Lehecka in a close encounter, which probably put a full stop to Nadal’s tally in the Madrid Open. The first match after that emotional farewell was Alcaraz, who would hope to win and make it to the semi-finals.

Carlos Alcaraz puts one foot into the semi-finals as he serves out the first set against Andrey Rublev

Carlos Alcaraz was up against Andrey Rublev for a spot in the semifinals. Despite not feeling completely comfortable with his forehand, Alcaraz has put up a show so far, showing what he is truly capable of. Similarly, he got off to a flying start against Rublev in the quarterfinals.
Carlos Alcaraz (Via Imago)
From the get-go, Alcaraz turned up the heat in Madrid with his powerful serves and forehand. He was matching every serve with Rublev’s and kept the Russian running for the ball. With a comfortable lead, the Spaniard served out the first set 6-4 to put one foot into the semis.

However, the Russian did not go down without a fight and fought back with an early break in the next set. Winning three games on the bounce, he already had the advantage, and it was only moments before Rublev won the second set 6-3 to force the match into a third set.