Rising tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has opened up about the gap in communication with fellow countryman Rafael Nadal since the latter’s retirement.

Despite their lack of conversation, there’s no bad blood between the pair. And Alcaraz has revealed he is simply giving Nadal space to enjoy the next phase of his new life in private.

The legendary Spaniard, 38, called time on his tennis career following Spain’s defeat to the Netherlands in the 2024 Davis Cup finals. Known to be a private person, he has stayed out of the limelight since then, a move the upstanding Alcaraz has done his utmost to respect.

“I have a very good relationship with Rafa, but I haven’t spoken to him again after his retirement from the Davis Cup,” Alcaraz told Sport (via the Daily Express) following his recent victory at the Rotterdam Open. “I think he deserves to be at peace with his family, enjoying what he could not enjoy before.

“For me, he has been and is a great reference point. I’ve seen that he congratulated me on social media, but I haven’t yet had the chance to speak with him directly. I’m sure there will come a time when we can do so.”

Alcaraz and Nadal have teamed up on the court multiple times over the past 12 months. The former snagged silver in the men’s singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics and also reached the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles tournament with Nadal.

But the duo were unable to advance past the last eight at the Davis Cup after losing to the Netherlands, who secured the runner-up spot behind Italy. Despite the setback, it’s clear the pair share a strong bond both on and off the court.

Their friendship was evident when, during their stint as team-mates in Paris last year, Nadal humorously admitted to being outpaced by Alcaraz. And it left the 22-time Grand Slam champion feeling his age.

“I’ve been with Carlos for three days and I can’t take it anymore,” he said at the time. “We have toured the Village seven times and this boy never gets tired! Today he wanted to go take pics with badminton players and I told him to go alone, that I give up.”

Though they haven’t caught up in a while, Nadal is undoubtedly supporting his compatriot from a distance. Fresh from his triumph in Rotterdam, Alcaraz is now setting his sights on the Qatar Open, where he’ll be taking on Luca Nardi in the last 16 on Wednesday.

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