Nardi, about his match against Alcaraz: "It won't be easy, but I already did it once with Novak"

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Luca Nardi will face one of the greatest challenges for a tennis player: going up against Carlos Alcaraz. However, the Italian seeks to cause an upset at the ATP de Doha and advance to the quarterfinals. Additionally, it wouldn't be the first time that the 21-year-old player defeats a big name, as last year he took down Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells. "It won't be easy, but I did it once with Novak. I know he didn't play his best match and I had an opportunity and I took it. Tomorrow will probably be the same because Carlos won a tournament last week and is always playing better and better," confessed the Italian to the ATP.

This will be the first time Nardi and Carlitos face each other officially, but they have played against each other in the past during their junior days. Did you ever manage to beat the player from Murcia? "We played a couple of times when we were kids. We were 13 or 14 years old, and he always won. I never defeated him, never had a chance. When we were 14, 16 years old, we played in the same tournaments, but then he 'grew' a little earlier, so I didn't have many opportunities to talk to him for years, but we are friends. The first time we played was maybe in Spain. He beat me easily. He played every shot: drop shots, strong hits. He has always been the same," said Luca about his fellow player.

It won't be easy for the Italian either because he doesn't have a fixed coach by his side, so one of his top priorities currently is to find one: "I haven't had a coach since October, and since then, I've been trying to find someone, but I haven't found the right one yet. I keep searching and hope to find one soon. I play some tournaments alone, but in others and during the preseason, coaches I know have helped me. I don't have a head coach and that's what I'm looking for."

- A very demanding encounter

Nardi enters these round of 16 in Doha with great eagerness to face a number 1 like Carlitos. He knows he will have to give his all, but also admitted it is something good for him, to see where his tennis stands. "It will certainly be a very fun match for me because I also want to test my level. It's not common to play with the best players in the world. So it will be a fun match and also good to understand what my level is," said the Italian about what will be a match of high demands.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nardi, sobre su partido ante Alcaraz: "No será fácil, pero ya lo hice una vez con Novak"