Tennis icon Rafael Nadal has shut down comparisons between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to himself, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has also disagreed with Federer’s advice to Alcaraz about viewing a career in the sport over five-year stages. Nadal, 39, retired from the game in November 2024 with an astonishing 22 major titles to his name.
Alcaraz, 22, and Sinner, 23, have a combined 10 Grand Slam titles between them already, with the Spaniard racking up six to the Italian’s four. Nadal, however, is reluctant to compare tennis’ latest superstars against the trio that many regard as the greatest to ever grace the court. Speaking at a charity golf tournament in Majorca, the 14-time French Open champion said: “Federer, Djokovic and I were who we were, and that’s all. Everyone has to live their own story; every story is different, and there’s no point in constantly comparing yourself to others.”
Addressing his haul of 22 titles, Federer’s 20 and Djokovic’s 24, the Manacor-born star continued: “What we experienced was a period in which three players slightly altered the numbers that had existed until then.”
Federer, 44, had once instructed Alcaraz to think of his career in five-year increments. Speaking at this year’s US Open, the 22-year-old Spaniard said: “He told me, ‘You have to be focused on the next five years’, from here to when I am 27. And then, when I get 27, then think about five years more.
“It’s not about thinking in 15 or 20 years. It’s just about going year by year or just thinking about just five years maximum.” However, it’s not a piece of advice Nadal subscribes to.
“Five years is a lot, and even more so in tennis, where at any moment things can change drastically,” Nadal countered. “I think in the end what he has to do is enjoy the moment, which is brilliant, and keep working to keep meeting objectives, to keep improving, and train every day with the enthusiasm to be better at something.
“Even if you are the best in the world, there is always room for improvement in certain areas; that is the daily motivation. I would enjoy the day-to-day, and then we will see how everything evolves.
“Obviously, in life, goals are very important and you must have them in the short, medium and long term, but I never worked on a five-year basis.”
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While he disputed the advice from his great rival, Nadal firmly believes Alcaraz is on course to make history, however he chooses to structure his career. The 39-year-old added that Alcaraz was also helping Spain remain a dominant force in tennis.
He added: “Alcaraz’s career seems to be on course to become something unique. Yes, he is having an impressive career. He is a very special player; we have known that for years, but it has been confirmed over time, and he keeps improving what is already an impressive career.
“The truth is that having someone like him in Spain helps us remain a leading country in world tennis, which we have been for many years — and I am not just speaking about myself; it goes back a long way. Carlos provides continuity to this whole era of success, not only in tennis but in sport in general.
“Hopefully, he can have a very long career, which is also what you need to reach certain numbers, and hopefully, he stays injury-free and everything goes brilliantly. And well, let’s leave him to it. He has six [Grand Slam titles], which is an incredible number at his age, and I hope he wins as many as he can.”