Superstition in sports is nothing new! We’ve seen several players adopt multiple things to bring out better results and when it comes to the most superstitious player in the tennis world, how can we forget Rafael Nadal? The Mallorcan had a list of superstitions, which he often referred to as his routine during his matches. One of his famous rituals was putting the water bottles in a specific pattern beside the side of his bench. Other famous rituals of Nadal included placing his hair behind his ear, pulling his nose, and adjusting his shorts while bouncing the ball before the serve. Interestingly, it seems as if Carlos Alcaraz has now started mimicking his idol as far as superstitions are concerned!

Alcaraz arrived in Rotterdam on January 30, and shortly after his arrival, he was seen sharing the court with his rival Daniil Medvedev during the practice. During that practice session, he was spotted sneezing and blowing his nose on the court. When he turned up for his first match in the tournament against Botic van de Zandschulp, Alcaraz was spotted wearing a black nasal strip. But was it the first time he was seen with a nasal strip on the court?

Well, Alcaraz was spotted with a similar pink-colored strip on his nose during the 2024 ATP Finals. What did the Spaniard say when he was asked about his nasal strip in Rotterdam? “I feel much better since the start of the week, but I’m not gonna say that I feel great and that I’m 100% ok. The cold is still there, but the nasal strip is also a bit of a superstitious thing,” the Spaniard revealed. Superstitious? Yes, you read that right!

Continuing further, he added, “It helps a lot to breathe normally, yeah, but once I started the tournament with that, I couldn’t take it off! Until I keep winning, I won’t take it off!”

Carlos Alcaraz has looked quite impressive in this tournament so far. He defeated Polish star, Hubert Hurkacz in the semis by 6-4,6(5)-7,6-3, and next up for him will be Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the final. After facing a disappointing exit from the 2025 AO at the hands of Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz would be keen to clinch the title in Rotterdam. And since, by his own admission, he is superstitious about the nasal strip, we might see him with that strip in the final as well. But is he really becoming as superstitious as Nadal?

Well, Carlos Alcaraz has time and again spoken about how he idolized Rafael Nadal while growing up. When Rafa announced his retirement from the sport, Alcaraz penned down a heartfelt note saying, “Rafa is one of the best ambassadors of tennis; his legacy will be eternal for sports in general. This moment is difficult for me; I feel I must continue the legacy he leaves us…He is a very important figure in my life.”

But apart from being one of the greatest of all time, Nadal was also labeled as the most superstitious tennis player. Once, during an interview, he said, “I put my two bottles down at my feet, in front of my chair to my left, one neatly behind the other, diagonally aimed at the court. Some call it superstition, but it’s not. If it were superstition, why would I keep doing the same thing over and over whether I win or lose? It’s a way of placing myself in a match, ordering my surroundings to match the order I seek in my head.”

There were multiple things Nadal did on the court that the fans labeled as a superstition, but according to Rafal, these things meant he was “focused.” Talking about focus, well, it’s now time to shift our focus from Carlos Alcaraz’s nasal strip to his upcoming big match against the Aussie Alex de Minaur.

Carlos Alcaraz is a man on a mission in Rotterdam

Carlos Alcaraz‘s performances at the indoor tournaments have been the talk of the town for quite some time now. He has already won 16 ATP titles but has never won an indoor tournament. Not only that, Alcaraz has previously been to the SF at three indoor tournaments (Vienna in 2021, Berlin in 2022, and the ATP Finals in 2023), however, he has failed to grab the opportunities on all three occasions!

Highlighting his performance on the indoor hard courts, former tennis pro-Julien Varlet said, “On this surface, he does not have the right tactics. He plays point by point. It is a bit messy.” Then even Roger Fededer’s former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, “Alcaraz hasn’t convinced me on the inside courts yet. He has a very high level on hard courts, but on indoor courts, even in Turin last year, he suffered a lot was heard saying.”

What’s Carlos Alcaraz’s reply to all these claims? Well, Carlitos is now desperate to prove himself on this surface. Being just one step away from the title triumph in Rotterdam, he said, “It’s my first time in Rotterdam. And it feels like I’ve been coming here for years due to the love and support I’m receiving. Additionally, knowing that no Spanish player has won here motivates me.”

Speaking about his doubters, Alcaraz added, “It’s my first indoor final, something special because there has been a lot of talk about my performances on these types of courts, so tomorrow is a good opportunity to show that I can indeed play well in these conditions.”

Currently, the Spaniard has a 2-0 lead over Alex de Minaur in the H2H record. Do you think Carlos Alcaraz can make it 3-0 with a win in the Rotterdam final? Let us know in the comments below.