#i just want rafa back. please. cmon monte carlo why cant you be sooner?

[rafasbiscuits]

I'm curious if anyone else feels sad at the rise of Carlos Alcaraz...part of me wants to root for him. More than his brilliance, he seems like a really nice guy. BUT...I don't want Rafa's supreme legacy challenged in any way, shape, or form. I selfishly want Rafa to always be Spain's biggest icon and for his tennis records to be untouched. So I find myself rooting against Alcaraz. Plus, I just miss Rafa...

omg I def understand u anon!! (And u are def not the only one)

Now don't get me wrong, I love Carlitos, he is a great kid and ik he has a big future ahead of him, but I have this feeling of bitter against him, I am a Rafa fan first and foremost, more than anything else. And ik this might sound toxic but I just can't shake this feeling off.

See, Carlitos is just like us, he looks up to Rafa as well. But I'm scared of what might happen if the young Spaniard surpasses Rafa's brilliance. I want Rafa to be legendary forever, to be looked up as the Spanish Legend, King Of Clay forever. Only him. I wonder sometimes is this what the Sampras-Agassi fans felt when Roger appeared and beat Pete? I don't know but damn it doesn't feel great.

As much as I want Carlitos to be the future of tennis, a big part of me just wants Rafa to stay forever, and a part of me that I hate just don't want that (Carlitos as the future) to happen, I want Rafa's legacy to be only his. Untouched. I want him to be the Spanish tennis king forever. ik it's impossible but I can't help it. It's selfish, yes, but I want the future tennis fans to search up Google and when they search up "Greatest Spanish Tennis Player Of All Time" only Rafael Nadal is there. The only single answer.

Even Rafa likes him, why should I, as a mere fan feel this way? But you see, just because we are fans doesn't mean we shouldn't feel what we want to. I know that fans wants to respect their idols/celebs/athletes alot but we shouldn't ignore our own feelings. So it's okay to feel this way, it's selfish, but aren't we all?

I always wish and hope that Rafael Vs Carlos will never ever happen. It did already but I don't want to experience it anymore. What if Carlitos beats Rafa? I don't think I can deal with that, people will start to adore Carlitos more and declare Rafa as "finished" I can't deal with that, I seriously can't. I will pretend to be happy for Carlitos but ik deep down that I will always want Rafa to win. Even though the man I want to win will be so very happy for the boy I want to see lose. I can't help but feel so bad. But I just cannot help it.

And I beat myself up cause Carlitos is such a great kid. But I will be honest sometimes that I didn't want him to win some matches, I didn't want him to be number 1. At the time. See, my motto is fake it till you make it.

Every era comes to an end, and another era will bloom and continue. Maybe the future era will surpass the past's greatness, but all we can do right now is just focus on the present, support the athletes we want to support and love because we will never know when their retirement will come. Like how the Federer fans already lost their fav tennis player, maybe they stopped watching tennis, or maybe they found another younger player to support. It's just how life works.

Your feelings towards this is valid, definitely, and you aren't the only one. trust me.

(and I miss Rafa too, but he'll be playing in Monte Carlo so yay!!)