Carlos Alcaraz is quickly establishing himself as one of the greatest players in the history of tennis, despite being only 22 years old.
The Spanish maestro recently became the youngest player in men’s singles history to complete the career Grand Slam after defeating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.
Alcaraz now has seven Grand Slam titles to his name – the same number as John McEnroe and Mats Wilander.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
Alcaraz is the youngest in history to win seven Grand Slam titles, beating the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to the top spot.
Nadal, who won 22 majors before his retirement in 2024, has revealed whether he believes Alcaraz is already a tennis ‘legend.’
Rafael Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz is a tennis legend
At the presentation of the Spin and Swing initiative by the Rafa Nadal Foundation and Cantabria Labs, Nadal claimed recent comments made by Patrick Mouratoglou about Novak Djokovic were erroneous.
He also reflected on the achievements of Carlos Alcaraz.
He said: “He’s [Alcaraz] not a prospect. He has 7 Slams so he’s definitely not just a promise for the future. He’s already a legend.
“If you look at the historic greats in Slams there aren’t many who have 7. Calling him a prospect makes no sense.”
It is difficult to disagree with Nadal’s assessment on this topic.
It is easy to claim Alcaraz is not a legend simply due to the fact that he is such a young player, who surely cannot be tagged with the ‘legend’ label until much later in his career.
The fact remains: Carlos Alcaraz is a tennis legend as no one in men’s tennis history has achieved what he has at the age of 22.
How many Grand Slams did Rafael Nadal win before the age of 23?
Rafael Nadal won six Grand Slams before the age of 23 – one less than Carlos Alcaraz.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Nadal won his first title at the 2005 French Open when he was just 18 years old. Three more French Open titles followed in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Nadal also won his first Wimbledon title in 2008, winning a historic five-set final against Roger Federer.
In 2009, Nadal won the first of his two Australian Open titles, again defeating Federer in five sets to win the tournament.
In comparison, Alcaraz has won two French Opens, two Wimbledons, two US Opens and one Australian Open.
