Carlos Alcaraz says Rafael Nadal is as humble as it gets and you would never know he was a tennis superstar and icon if you didn’t previously know about him.

After idolizing the former 22-time Grand Slam champion for years, the 22-year-old got to meet and know his idol after he burst onto the tennis scene in 2022.

And while Alcaraz was making a name for himself in 2022, Nadal was the first to acknowledge his talent and speak highly about him whenever possible. Also, the 38-year-old was calling out the media at the time because he didn’t want them to be comparing the rising star to him and be putting additional pressure on him.

As time passed, their relationship quickly grew and Alcaraz went from looking up to Nadal to having a relationship with his idol. After deciding 2024 would be his last season, the former 14-time French Open champion also offered the current world No. 2 to play doubles with him at the Paris Olympics.

Alcaraz: When you meet Nadal for the first time, he is someone just like you and me

“His way of playing, his attitude on the court, his mentality, his love for the game. Rafa is an exceptional person, very humble. When you meet him for the first time, he’s just someone like you and me. It was truly incredible to be so close to my idol, to learn from him, and also to be around him as a person. I had an exceptional experience,” the 22-year-old told the French Open website when asked when asked what he admired the most about the former 22-time Grand Slam winner.

In the same interview, Alcaraz was asked what he learned from the Spanish tennis legend. And he said it was the passion and the approach that the former world No. 1 had going into a match.

Meanwhile, just as Nadal, Alcaraz also won multiple Grand Slams early on. The Spaniard, who celebrated his 22nd birthday earlier this month, will be bidding to win his fifth Major when he kicks off his title defense at Roland Garros last week.