Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he was stunned by Rafael Nadal's decision to retire from tennis, despite the writing long appearing to be on the wall. Nadal confirmed he would be quitting the sport in a video uploaded to his social media channels on Thursday.

One player was very impacted by Nadal's retirement news—Carlos Alcaraz. The fellow Spaniard has shared throughout the start of his promising career how big of an inspiration and role model Nadal has been for him in his life. Alcaraz met Nadal at a very young age and even got to play doubles in the 2024 Paris Olympics with him.

Novak Djokovic hailed Rafael Nadal's tennis "legacy" while Carlos Alcaraz said hearing about his fellow Spaniard's retirement was "painful".