Sports
The Spaniard, highlighted as a unique talent but Rafael Nadal Was Ignored and not recognized
The Spaniard was highlighted as a unique talent but Rafael Nadal Was Ignored and not recognized
Íñigo Gurruchaga, a veteran Basque journalist who has covered wars and conflicts of all kinds, and who made London his other home more than 30 years ago, is curious. He looks up and on the plinth of the Wimbledon conference room, conversing, he sees the boy and the man, the young man, and the veteran. A two in one, all at once. First of all, because as much as his reality has forced him to develop faster than normal, Carlos Alcaraz is betrayed by the frequent youthful sparks that he gives off, as well as the laughter and the jargon (“uncle”, “uncle”, “uncle ”, he frequently addresses his coach) that he usually uses in his circle of trust; the second, because he, who has seen Rafael Nadal grow and take shape in the successive passages of the Mallorcan through London, He is struck by the control of the scene shown by the Murcian, dressed in a striking fisherman’s hat that makes the reporter’s question inevitable.
– I am curious about the virtues of the hat you have chosen. Is it going to be your brand throughout the tournament or is it just a personal outburst?
– Well, I don’t know… I should! [laughs] No, I look good, so maybe it will serve as a charm. If I do well at the beginning of the week, maybe I take it every day. It’s cool…
Gurruchaga, as indicated, saw over the last two decades the blossoming of the Nadal phenomenon, from the whirlwind of the bandana, capri pants, and tank top to the big man he is today. And he points out a particularity between the Balearic Islands and Alcaraz: “They are an animal force.” At the same time that he qualifies: “But the latter is more sophisticated.” During the conversation, he underlines his “security”, despite being 20 years old, and above all his “personality” draws his attention to overcome such a complicated circumstance, the fact of being only 20 years old and at the same time the obligation to handle everything that comes with being an exception; for many specialists, it is unusual.
Experts, coaches, players, and relatives who have closely followed Alcaraz’s footsteps point out a coincidence: he has always been ahead of his age. Somehow, with it disappear the logical phases of growth. He was impressive as a child, as a juvenile and now in this hatching process still incomplete.
“It’s something we haven’t seen until now: a kind of sick combination of Roger, Djokovic, and Nadal,” says Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, who accompanied the Swiss genius on his final stretch on the circuit. “He can hurt in many ways,” said recently Paul Annacone, Federer’s tutor in his intermediate stage. “I think the grass is a very interesting surface because a lot of times I watch someone play and I think, ‘This guy can play well here, but for whatever reason, he doesn’t like it.’ And then there is Alcaraz, who thinks that his game may not adapt to grass, but in the end, he does it so well… He says that it is his favorite surface. That’s where it’s amazing. Maybe he can win five titles at Wimbledon, but you never know.” And the irate Nick Kyrgios abounds: “Seeing what he has been able to do in such a short time is crazy. He is very disciplined and loves sports. He has a showman inside, and I like that.”
Head, technique, determination
Consulted by this newspaper, Manuel Orantes from Granada points out that the current number one “has absolutely everything” and that “technically he is incredible”, in addition to the fact that “he has a good head”. The 1975 US Open and Masters Cup champion considers that “neither Federer nor Nadal nor Djokovic had that much power at the same age” and predicts “a truly impressive career”.
Having reached his twenties, Nadal already had two grades, while the other two giants had not yet raised any. Alcaraz has one, achieved last year in New York, but beyond his achievements, he generates a unanimity never seen before due to his maturity on and off the track. To his work ethic and his determination, unusual among youngsters progressing in the men’s circuit today, he adds a technical, tactical, and mental residue that is beyond the ordinary. Today the exceptionality is accentuated in this tour on the green, complicated, and uncontrollable territory where there are. “I feel as if I had played ten years on this surface,” transmits the man from El Palmar, the first tennis player other than Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic to go to Wimbledon as the first seed in 20 years.“I am a boy who learns quickly,” he adds.
Unlike other players who aimed high and have gradually faded away or others who have taken refuge in excuses to justify stagnation, Alcaraz flees from subterfuge and self-criticism tends to appear in his speech. Although he is just starting, he plays professionally as a long-time tennis player.
“For me, as a tennis fan, buying any player with the magnificent three, no matter how much potential they may have, is very difficult. I am Federer’s age, and I have played against Rafa and Novak, and sometimes I think: But winning a Grand Slam is already milk! Sampras had won 14, and that was already absolutely incredible, and there was also Borg. Before Becker, Edberg, or McEnroe were already gods, and we see what those three have done and it is very difficult to understand. There are still times when I sit down, think about it and discuss it with colleagues and say to myself: ‘This is not possible’. It’s not real! It’s like when you see Kipchogue run a marathon and he does an incredible mark. But if he runs for 42 kilometers at the same speed that I sprint ! for 100 meters! That is inhuman. That is why I think that the comparison is not fair”, introduces the 41-year-old from Toledo. “But I also think that after those three guys, I haven’t seen anything similar to Carlitos, and look, I’ve seen tennis… It’s something very different from all the great talents that have emerged, apart from these three. It’s the best I’ve ever seen. He is very clear that he wants to follow his path and he is a true animal ”, concludes Feliciano, while tennis is still absorbed: Alcaraz, 20 years old. For many, never seen.
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Sports
It shouldn’t have come from his mouth: Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
Christopher Bell made his choice about NASCAR’s top superstars based on their achievements in races. He believes that drivers like Austin Dillon from RCR, Kyle Busch from JGR, Brad Keselowski from Team Penske, and Bubba Wallace from RFK Racing are the top drivers in terms of wins.
Bell did not mention big names like Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who may be famous but do not have the same level of success as the veterans. He also noted that in the Next-Gen era, there is greater equality in the field, with 15-20 cars competing for the win each week.
This means that the dominance seen in the Big-3 era may not return. Bell suggests that NASCAR needs to find unique ways, like the Netflix documentary, to improve the sport.
Three weeks have passed since the Texas race, and the stunning comeback story it harbored is still the talk of the town. After getting sidelined for 42 Cup races, Chase Elliott stormed back into the winning scene of NASCAR. And the journey to the podium has been a prickly one, laden with obstacles every step of the way.
Chase Elliott suffered a knee injury in a snowboarding accident in 2023 and saw his playoff chances spiraling away from him. His troubles saw no end in sight as his long-time spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, packed up his bags and left. However, the memory of his previous fire helped his journey of recovery.
2023 marked the first season that Chase Elliott walked out of a NASCAR Cup schedule without a single win. However, he did not let his drooping spirits get the better of him. Elliott worked hard with his No. 9 team for a slow but sure comeback in 2024. They crept up the ladder after Daytona, never letting the winless hangover overcome them.
Elliott secured 5th place at Richmond and then grabbed a podium finish at Martinsville. The six-time defending Most Popular Driver held his fans at the edge of their seats. Sure enough, Chase Elliott found his long-lost glory in the Lone Star state. On a recent ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’ episode, Harvick asked Elliott about the relief he felt on seizing that coveted win. Elliott responded, “Yeah, the first time…I’m not quite used to seeing the other side of the interviews…it is odd, I’m getting used to it. Yeah definitely, relief involved, for sure.”
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We are where we belong: Lewis Hamilton ruthless after Mercedes bankruptcy
Mercedes experienced another blow in the neck at the start of the Formula 1 weekend in Miami. George and Hamilton failed in sprint qualifying in Q2. After the slap, Hamilton didn’t even look for excuses, but instead came to a ruthless conclusion.
“I have the feeling that we got everything out of our car. That’s just our pace. We have to accept that we are seven tenths of a second behind,” said the record world champion.
Mercedes in the Miami midfield: balance is right, result is not
Over the past few weekends, setup experiments have often been cited as an explanation for poor results. There was no talk of this in Miami, although the upgrades that Mercedes brought to the track on a large scale and the sprint format would have given plenty of reason to blame a setup search.
But according to Hamilton, there was no problem with the car’s balance. “The car felt very good in training and it didn’t feel bad in sprint qualifying either,” he summarized. Hopes for the race are muted. “The sprint race will be tough. I don’t expect much from 12th place. Plus, it’s not easy to overtake and follow other cars on this track,” said Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton pessimistic: Are points even possible?
“We’ll just try to get into the points somehow, if we can,” are his small goals. George Russell’s outlook for the short race on Saturday sounded a little more optimistic. “I have no doubt that we will continue to sprint forward.” He starts in P11, just one position ahead of his teammate and compatriot.
However, he sees a need for action with a view to qualifying for the sixth Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season. “We have to get our qualifying problems under control. Because it is always difficult to fight with other cars when you start from behind “, he said.
Russell’s balance conclusion was similar to Hamilton’s: “In the soft tire felt good on our car, but on the medium tire in qualifying we couldn’t get our car into the sweet spot.”
Mercedes dead end: After the first training session things go downhill
What is particularly alarming for Mercedes is a well-known phenomenon this season: after a good start to the weekend in the first training session, there is no improvement in the following sessions. Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin also noted this: “Unfortunately, in the crucial session, we were unable to take the step that others were able to, as we have seen many times this year.”
The Silver Arrows still find a little consolation in the time table: the gaps were quite small in the first qualifying session of the weekend. P5 was only two tenths of a second away. Whether a comparison with RB driver Daniel Ricciardo and a gap of seven tenths to the top meets the demands of a team that once dominated is another matter.
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Millions of Dollars: Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces financial challenges and raises concerns with all the blame on NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces financial challenges and raises concerns with all the blame on NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals lack of profitability in NASCAR teams. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has always been vocal about the financial challenges and concerns that arise from owning a racing team in NASCAR. This is due to the current state of NASCAR and the reason why none of the teams are able to generate profits.
During an episode of his podcast, Dale Jr. Download, the 49-year-old driver shared his thoughts on the agreement between NASCAR and the teams. He discussed how he never made money as a team owner, including his Xfinity team, JR Motorsports, and how none of the teams can turn a profit under the current agreement.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed frustration with the overall situation and showed empathy towards the teams, understanding the significant amount of money invested behind the scenes. The financial situation of NASCAR teams seems to be quite complex after the new grant agreement, and NASCAR will likely need to address this issue to avoid future complications.
During the same conversation, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is also a team owner at JRM, shared an interesting detail about Denny Hamlin’s perspective on the profitability of NASCAR teams. According to Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin supports the teams and is actively working to make them profitable.
Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he has had several discussions with Hamlin about the importance of profitability and how they have been collaborating behind the scenes to help teams achieve financial success. Only time will tell if these efforts will lead to improvements in the financial situation of NASCAR teams.
It shouldn’t have come from his mouth: Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
We are where we belong: Lewis Hamilton ruthless after Mercedes bankruptcy
