Following his victory at Wimbledon, which marked his fourth Grand Slam title, Carlos Alcaraz has been the subject of high praise from Rafael Nadal. During a press conference this week in Bastad, Nadal was asked about his thoughts on the young prodigy. He confidently stated that Alcaraz is destined to become one of the greatest players in history.
Nadal and Alcaraz
“In my view, we are talking about a player who will become one of the greatest in history. That’s how I feel,” Nadal said after securing a doubles win alongside Ruud. “He’s a player with immense potential. Life can change very quickly, and that’s just the reality. You never know what the future holds. But if we were to make a prediction today, we would say that he’s on track for extraordinary achievements.”
Nadal is set to partner with Alcaraz for the first time in the men’s doubles at the upcoming Paris Olympics later this month, a pairing that is sure to attract attention.
“His level of tennis right now is very high, provided he can avoid injuries,” Nadal noted. “Sinner is also excellent, of course. I believe (Alcaraz) and Sinner are clearly ahead of everyone else right now. I don’t think there are many players who can beat him at the moment. And what I find most impressive is that, regardless of the tournament or surface, he’s always the favorite to win.”
Nadal elaborated, explaining that during his era, he was typically considered the favorite in clay court events, while Federer was the king of grass early in his career. For hard court tournaments, the Big Three were always strong favorites.
“But no player was the favorite in every event. However, today, I believe he (Alcaraz) carries that aura. It’s a significant advantage. As long as he can deliver his best performance, it will be very difficult for anyone to beat him.”
