Carlos Alcaraz Equals Rafael Nadal After Rome

Carlos Alcaraz has made history at the Italian Open on Sunday. He didn’t just demolish Jannik Sinner, he showcased once again how big of a force he has become on clay courts. The Spaniard won 7-6, 6-1 to secure his seventh career Masters 1000 title. It was his third ATP title and the second Masters 1000 title of the season. As a consequence, he has put to bed all the doubts that were rising about his fitness after his withdrawal at the Madrid Open.

Alcaraz came into the Italian Open after withdrawing from the Madrid Open. He had to undergo an MRI on his groin for the injury he sustained in the Barcelona Open final. He lost in the final to Holger Rune in straight sets. However, the Italian Open win has made him the outright favorite for Roland Garros.

Matches Multiple Records Of Rafael Nadal

As a result of his Italian Open win, Alcaraz has matched multiple records of Rafael Nadal. The young Spaniard matched his hero’s record of winning all the clay-court Masters 1000 titles and Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic is the third player in recent memory to have achieved this milestone. However, Alcaraz doing this is exceptional considering he is just 22 and has already shown his prowess on this surface.

Alcaraz won his first two clay-court Masters 1000 titles at the Madrid Open in 2022 and 2023. Then, he won Roland Garros last year. This year, he completed the set by winning Monte Carlo last month, beating Lorenzo Musetti in the final. Then, he won the Italian Open by beating Sinner in straight sets.

Alcaraz also made history by becoming the first player since Nadal in 2018 to win multiple clay-court Masters 1000 titles. The left-hander won Monte Carlo and the Italian Open that season before lifting Roland Garros. He also played the Olympic Gold medal match last year on the Paris clay, but lost to Djokovic in two tiebreak sets.

More History Beckons

If two milestones were not enough, there is one more milestone that Alcaraz would look forward to adding to his already illustrious career. He can join Bjorn Borg in the list of players to defend the Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles. The 22-year-old already defended the Wimbledon title last year, demolishing Djokovic in straight sets. However, a title win in Roland Garros would put him in an elite company.

Not even the “Big 3” achieved this. Roger Federer won only one Roland Garros in his career. Nadal won Wimbledon titles in 2008 and 2010. Djokovic won Roland Garros in 2016, 2021, and 2023. Hence, it is a great chance for Alcaraz to put himself on a level that not even the all-time greats could achieve.