Back in 2023, after losing in semifinals Carlos Alcaraz began a tradition of visiting Ibiza. Ever since then, the Spaniard takes short, post-Grand Slam vacation to the Balearic party island. Although currently suffering from a wrist injury, the young Spaniard has faced criticisms on various fronts, and one of them is his vacation in Ibiza. However, appearing in an interview, 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal came to his defense, while also making a surprising revelation, taking the interviewer by surprise.

“Everyone has a different personality, I did too… My life was not only tennis, tennis and tennis. I did I went to Ibiza every single year with my friends,” he said in an interview with CNN. “Everyone needs to find their own space. I think some people need more, some people need less. But my life was much more than tennis. But I didn’t want to project that to the world because I didn’t find it interesting… he decided to make it public, I respect that, and seems like it’s working very well for him.”

His camp was critical of the decision in 2023, but it paid off spectacularly, as the Spaniard won Wimbledon the same year, beating Novak Djokovic in the final. Seeing that it worked once, he followed the same routine in 2024 and 2025 as well, which worked in his favor, as he won the Channel Slam in 2024, the French Open, and had a runner-up finish at Wimbledon last year.

While siding with Alcaraz, Nadal opened up on the importance of taking breaks and prioritizing mental health as well. He admitted struggling with issues of his own that led him to seek medical help during the peak of his career, around 2015.

“I went through a lot of injuries, a lot of pressure, and arrived in a moment where, in some way, you are not able to handle all of this – even if in my mind I was able to handle all of this,” he said.

Professionalism in sport is paramount now, and maybe in such an atmosphere, Alcaraz’s escapades might be frowned upon. However, back in the day, some former players who went on to become great champions led an outgoing partying lifestyle in their personal lives. Marat Safin was notorious for maintaining Grand Slam-level tennis while parting ways, sometimes before Slam finals. Back in the 1980s, players like John McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis led affluent lifestyles to keep their minds off the court, but were capable of exceptional tennis when required.

Nadal has been a very staunch advocate for Alcaraz in public, extending his full support to the young 22-year-old. Back in January, when Alcaraz broke his record, Nadal praised his countryman.

“He’s Already a Legend of Our Sport”- Rafael Nadal on Carlos Alcaraz After the Australian Open Victory

Alcaraz made tennis history when he won the Australian Open this year, becoming the youngest player to complete the Career Slam. In doing so, he eclipsed Nadal, who previously held the record, and who was present at the Rod Laver Arena to watch his compatriot fight it out against Novak Djokovic.

After Alcaraz’s victory, Nadal dubbed Alcaraz a “great” of the sport. In his view, someone who already has one 7 major titles was already in the echelons of greatness in the sport, as there were not many players who had won that many Slams. Nadal shut down questions regarding Alcaraz being a star of the future and proclaimed that he was already one of the best players to ever play the sport.

“He’s not a prospect at all. He has 7 grand slams, so he’s definitely not just a promise for the future. He’s already a legend of our sport. If you look at the historic greats in grand slams, there aren’t many who have 7. So calling him a prospect makes no sense.”

Nadal’s argument holds merit, as Alcaraz, with his seven titles, is already close to the likes of Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, and Jimmy Connors. It is not only his on-court achievements; Nadal has also extended his support to Alcaraz, as the young star recovers from a wrist injury that has forced him to withdraw from the next two Grand Slam events. However, Nadal has said in public interviews that Alcaraz would be fine if he took care of himself and that, in his eyes, there was no need for the Spaniard to rush to the court, as that might worsen the injury.