By citing Novak Djokovic’s better record over Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz surprised a lot of people by declaring Djokovic the greatest tennis player of all time.
Alcaraz acknowledged Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam singles titles compared to Nadal’s 22. Despite that, he teamed up with Nadal for the Olympic doubles in Paris beginning on July 27 and regarded Nadal as one of his heroes.
“As far as numbers go, it’s Novak Djokovic,” said Alcaraz, he hesitated before saying in an ATP Tour video. He quickly clarified that, in his opinion, Federer and Nadal were also at the top. Nadal praised Alcaraz and said that if the young Spaniard stays injury-free, he will have an amazing career.
He feels that Alcaraz is a clear favorite in every tournament because of his potential and current form, which was not the case with the Big Three when Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic all dominated different surfaces.
Four-time major winner Alcaraz has already won major championships on three surfaces: back-to-back Wimbledon titles, the US Open in 2022, and the French Open in 2024. Nadal highlighted that Alcaraz stands out as a special talent in the tennis world because of his aura and confidence at just 21 years old.