Toni Nadal pushes back on Alcaraz’s comments after Indian Wells exit

Toni Nadal — uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal — joined Radioestadio Noche on Spain’s Onda Cero to break down Carlos Alcaraz’s semifinal loss to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells.

Alcaraz, who had been riding a strong start to the 2026 season, admitted during the tournament that he feels opponents are raising their level against him. After his win over Arthur Rinderknech, he even joked that it felt like he was “playing Roger Federer every round” because of how tough each match has been, adding that it sometimes feels like he has “a target on his back.”

Rivals have no choice but to up their game

Toni Nadal wasn’t convinced by that assessment. He argued that Alcaraz’s status as the world’s best naturally pushes rivals to take more risks — not because they’re extra motivated to beat him specifically, but because that’s what it takes to challenge the top player.

“It’s not about having a target on your back — I don’t agree with Alcaraz on that,” Nadal said. “When you play someone better than you, you know you have to take a lot more risks. And Alcaraz is better than Medvedev. It’s not that Medvedev is more motivated to face Alcaraz; he just knows he has to go for more to beat him. It’s not a battle against Alcaraz — it’s a battle against the best. And right now, Alcaraz is the best.”

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