Carlos Alcaraz is destined to forever be linked with Rafael Nadal, as the natural successor to his fellow Spaniard.
After all, with the start to his career that the 22-year-old has enjoyed, this kind of comparison was only natural.
Alas, they boast wildly different play styles and outlooks on the sport, making it an intriguing debate to see who might have more major titles when both are retired.
Marin Cilic has actually had the pleasure of facing both of them, owing to his supreme longevity at the apex of the sport.
He has now been asked to compare the two.
Marin Cilic picks between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal
Chatting with Mark Petchey for Tennis Channel, the British pundit and coach was keen to learn just how fearsome these two Spanish superstars are.
He asked Cilic who he would rather face out of the two of them: current Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz or prime Rafael Nadal.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
The Croatian stumbled as he tried to find an answer, initially claiming: “Uh, which Rafa? Young Rafa or a little bit later career?
“Oh, my God. Um, yeah, different… I don’t know. Too difficult. Too difficult.”
However, Cilic eventually claimed: “Yeah, I would still prefer to play Jannik or Carlos. Yeah, still, because Rafa at a young age especially, at any age, he was a menace.”
Ironically, it was also recently claimed that Nadal’s achievements have been made to look better because of Alcaraz’s recent injury.
What has Rafael Nadal said about Carlos Alcaraz potentially breaking his Grand Slam record
Whenever asked about Alcaraz, Nadal unsurprisingly has nothing but kind words to say about his young protégé.
And, speaking during an interview with 9 News Australia before this year’s Australian Open, he was asked for his thoughts on Alcaraz potentially eclipsing his record of becoming the youngest ever to achieve a career Grand Slam.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Naturally, he did go on to manage that feat, beating Novak Djokovic in the final.
Nadal was there to watch, and had said beforehand: “Good for me. For me, my career is over, and I’m not the kind of guy who’s gonna live the rest of my life thinking ‘Oh wow somebody’s gonna break a record,’ and worry about that.
“I am very proud of what I achieved, and if somebody is doing better than me today, very welcome.”
Alcaraz revealed what he spoke with Nadal about after the Australian Open final.
