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Rafael Nadal Makes a Statement on Alcaraz Having More Slams Than Federer and Djokovic at 22

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 11:21 PM ET

Rafael Nadal , widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history, recently shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open victory and the young Spaniard’s place in the sport. Nadal, who has carried Spanish tennis to unprecedented heights throughout his career, said Alcaraz is ensuring that Spain’s dominance on the global stage continues.

While praising the 22-year-old’s rapid success, Nadal also stressed the importance of longevity in a career as demanding as tennis. Drawing from his own battles with injuries, the 22-time Grand Slam champion expressed hope that Alcaraz’s explosive game style would not leave him vulnerable to the same physical setbacks.

“In grand slam, obviously he can [overtake me],” Nadal said in an interview with a Spanish media outlet. “He seems to be on track in the race to become something unique. Hopefully in the end this is the reality. Hopefully he can have a very long career which is also needed to reach certain numbers and I hope that injuries will spare him and that everything goes great for him. To start with he has got 6 slams already which is an incredible number for his age and I hope he has as many as he can.”

Nadal also pointed out how Alcaraz’s achievements stack up against his own, as well as those of Federer and Djokovic, at the same age. At 22, Alcaraz already owns six Grand Slam titles—one more than Nadal had at that stage, and five more than both Federer and Djokovic.

“Yes that’s the truth, it’s that he is having an impressive career,” Nadal admitted. “He’s a very special player—we’ve known that for years—but it’s only becoming more and more apparent over time and he’s improving, which is an impressive career."

"And I’m nothing more than happy for him. The truth is that having someone like that in Spain, because all he does is help us continue to be a world-class tennis country, which we have been for many years. Carlos gives us that continuity to this era of success not just in tennis but in sports in general," he added.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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