The 22-time Grand Slam-winning Rafael Nadal has made his feelings on fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and current ATP No. 1 Jannik Sinner crystal clear.
The iconic Rafael Nadal believes that compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the two players who stand clear at the top of men’s tennis. The Spanish legend, who collected a staggering 22 Grand Slam titles and reigned as king over the clay courts of Roland Garros throughout his illustrious career, laid down his racket in November 2024.
This was one more step towards signalling the end of what is undoubtedly the greatest era of the men’s game, in which Nadal often squared off against the worthiest of adversaries in 20-time major winner Roger Federer and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The timeless Serb is the only one of the trio left standing, with Federer calling it quits in 2022. Yet, with Djokovic nearing 38 and injuries taking their toll, his time on Tour is dwindling. The baton must be passed down, and Nadal has now made an assertive admission about the two who should receive it.
“If we did it, others can do it,” began Nadal, referencing his rivalry with Federer and Djokovic at a Movistar Plus event. “Things are meant to be surpassed. Clearly, there are two players who stand above the rest: Carlos and Jannik.
“We were three for almost too many years, and thanks to the demands we placed on each other, we made our careers something unimaginable years ago. We did that. Now new generations are coming who will strive to surpass us.”
Surpassing the achievements collected by the legendary trio is a near-impossible feat, but both Alcaraz and Sinner have had a stranglehold on Grand Slam tournaments for nearly two years.
While Djokovic claimed three of the four major competitions in 2023, 2024 saw both the Spaniard and his Italian counterpart take two each. Sinner was the Australian Open winner in 2025, with Alcaraz’s favoured French Open up next.
Yet, though these two look set to duel it out for Grand Slam glory in the coming months and years, Alcaraz admitted upon Nadal’s retirement that witnessing his fellow countryman, Federer and Djokovic’s careers has been endlessly special, and living up to any of the three will not be simple.
“For us young players coming up, who have many years ahead of us, we’ve been lucky to see the era of Rafa, Federer, and Djokovic, although [Novak] is still playing… That battle between those three gladiators, [they are] players who aren’t from this planet,” admitted Alcaraz.
“But, at the same time, I’ll also say that [Rafa] has left a lot of people with the hope of seeing what is to come. In a way, if those of us that are here, the young players, those coming up behind him cannot reach that level, it will be seen as frustrating or disappointing for the world of tennis.”
