To many, Carlos Alcaraz is seen as the heir of Rafael Nadal, a Spanish tennis player always at the top of the rankings of world's bests, winning Grand Slams titles every year, as Nadal did for two decades before his retirement last year. However, Nadal has asked people to stop comparing Alcaraz and his biggest rival Jannik Sinner to his own rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
"They're Sinner and Carlos, and we were us, and that's it. In the end, everyone has to live their own story; every story is different, and there's no reason to compare things all day long... Let's enjoy this great rivalry and stop comparing", said the former tennis player at a charity golf event in Madrid (via EFE).
Nadal is aware that the "Big Three" era changed the expectations of fans about the number of major titles tennis players could win. As such, Carlos and Jannik have "the advantage of having marked numbers that serve as a finish line".
Federer won 20 Grand Slams, Nadal won 22, and Djokovic 24, and is still aiming for a record-breaker 25 Grand Slams that would put him ahead of Margaret Court.
After US Open, what's next for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner: When could they clash again?
With six Grand Slams titles at 22 years of age, some wonder if Alcaraz could become the greatest in history. Nadal thinks it's possible, but hopes that injuries don't get in the way and never lose motivation. "Even if you're the best in the world, there's always room for improvement, and that's your daily motivation. Enjoy the day-to-day, and then we'll see how everything evolves. Goals are very important in life, and you have to have them in the short, medium, and long term."
Do you think Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will dominate tennis in the coming years or somebody else will come?