Carlos Alcaraz concerns raised by Rafael Nadal in stern message to US Open finalist

Carlos Alcaraz will face his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner, as he looks to win his sixth Grand Slam title in Flushing Meadows on Sunday. The world No. 2 has been playing some of his best tennis at this year's US Open, storming through his first six matches without dropping a set.

But Alcaraz must heed some of Rafael Nadal's concerns if he wants to overcome Sinner in the championship match, as the 22-time Major winner admitted his young countryman could be "unpredictable", and needed to rein in some of his risky shots.

Nadal has been following Alcaraz's progress on the tour since ending his career at last year's Davis Cup Finals. He even watched the 22-year-old save three championship points to beat Sinner in the French Open final earlier this season.

The 14-time Roland Garros champion faced Alcaraz three times on the tour, and they even played doubles together before Nadal retired. But Nadal believes the five-time Grand Slam winner can still make some improvements to his game - especially when he's facing Sinner.

The retired Spaniard told The Athletic: "Carlos is more magic, he's more unpredictable, he can play at a level that probably sometimes Jannik cannot.

"But at the same time, he's making more mistakes, too - he can play better, but he can play worse, and it's about finding the balance. Carlos has all the shots, sometimes he's making mistakes, but he's going for the shots and it's more amazing to see because at the end it's more unexpected and unpredictable.

"I like it, it's very funny to see Carlos play because he's able to produce amazing things and at the same time, he's able to have mistakes, and that's human."

However, the former world No. 1 still wants to see Alcaraz learn when to go full power, and when to control himself in a rally.

"From my point of view, Carlos can improve a little bit the tactical way to approach some matches. Sometimes it feels like he always plays for every big shot, and sometimes, he doesn't need that much," Nadal explained.

"That's why I'm interested in how they evolve, because I think both of them have room to improve, and they are so good."

Nadal got a taste of Alcaraz's brilliance before ending his career last year. They faced off three times on the tour. Nadal handed Alcaraz a bruising loss on his 18th birthday at the 2021 Madrid Open.

The elder Spaniard then beat him in a much closer match in Indian Wells the following year, and Alcaraz got his revenge a few months later in Madrid.

Nadal and Alcaraz also teamed up in doubles at last year's Olympic Games, losing in the quarter-finals, and they were Davis Cup teammates when Nadal ended his career at the team tournament last summer.

The 39-year-old still cheers Alcaraz on from afar and will no doubt have been keeping up with his progress in Flushing Meadows this fortnight. Expect to see Nadal share a congratulatory message on social media after Sunday's final.

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