An advanced tennis master with Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz | ATP Tour

Davis Cup

An advanced tennis master with Nadal, Sinner or Alcaraz

The experience of Andrés Santamarta, 17 years old, this week in the Davis Cup

November 21, 2024

-How old are you?
—17 years.

—What are you playing now?
—Junior tournaments, I was planning to go to the United States these weeks.

—And next year?

—I would like to have a good result in the junior Grand Slam, to be able to improve as a player and make the leap to real tennis, with the seniors.

—Keep doing it, this is very long, but the most important thing is that you enjoy it.

The advice is from Rafael Nadal and its recipient, Andres Santamarta Roig. The 17-year-old had an unforgettable experience this week in the Davis Cup Finals, in which he had the privilege of being part of the Spanish team as a sparring partner.

During the days before the start of the competition, he was able to train with the 22-time Grand Slam champion. “For me, Rafa is an example. I have seen him up there for many years since I can remember, I am lucky and I hope to learn something from him and apply it in my tennis, in my game,” he confessed to ATPTour.com.

For Santamarta, current No. 1308 in the PIF ATP Rankings, it has been an advanced master’s degree. In addition to sharing a dressing room with Nadal in the tournament of his farewell to professional tennis, he has also done so with another player called to take his baton, Carlos Alcaraz, as well as with Roberto Bautista Agut, Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martínez.

“I feel lucky to have been able to share this moment with the five of them and with the entire team, in general,” added Santamarta, who has tried to be a sponge to absorb as much learning as possible during these days.

Although it is true that with Alcaraz, who arrived in Malaga from the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin without much advance time to prepare, he was not able to share moments on the court, he had met him previously.

Curiously, last year at the Mutua Madrid Open they were champions of the two categories in the tournament: ATP Masters 1000 (Alcaraz) and Under-16 (Santamarta). “Yes, we took a photo at the Mutua when he won, he congratulated me and, now that I think about it, he told me practically the same thing as Rafa, to continue, that this was very long.”

Although Spain’s journey in the Davis Cup ended in the quarterfinals, Santamarta’s adventure in Malaga continued this Wednesday. And the Spaniard, who has five points in his locker in the PIF ATP Rankings, was in charge of dealing the first blows with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner upon his arrival at the Martín Carpena Pavilion.

“When Dani [Gimeno-Traver] He told me a day before, I got a little nervous, wondering if I could stand him or not,” he revealed. “But I was also happy, because being the current No. 1 I really wanted to be able to share training with him. I liked it a lot. I admire him.”

On the court, Santamarta left his nerves behind and, as Nadal had advised him a few days before, he enjoyed the opportunity. “I found myself very comfortable,” he said. “What caught my attention the most is the intensity, just like what happened to me with Rafa. He is a very calm boy, he doesn’t get upset, he plays with great intensity. He missed and he was ready for the next ball. “What I like most about Sinner is how he moves and his backhand.”

As a player at the GTennis Academy, the academy in his native Valencia, he had already been able to train with high-level players, but never of “this caliber,” in his own words.

“I have learned many things and I liked it a lot, because it is a very good experience to be able to share rallies, training sessions, with top players,” he warned. “I’m going to try to take the positives, what I have learned from them on and off the track.”

He does it with a last wish: “I want to start with real tennis, the ATP and all the tournaments with adults, where the experience is very noticeable. I hope to adapt, because it is a very big change, tennis is very different, the way of playing and thinking.”

Now, with a suitcase full of memories, enthusiasm and priceless learning, he returns home to continue on his path.