Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic share 46 Grand Slam titles between them, a stat that is beyond extraordinary. The duo has often praised each other for the sheer grit and tenacity they showed on the court during their peak years.
Recently, the 14-time French Open champion, Nadal, spoke to the media after a charity golf event, and he answered multiple questions about tennis, Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz’s rise, and other off-court topics. The Spanish legend was asked how he has been approaching the sport since his retirement and what he felt about the 38-year-old Serb chasing a 25th Major.
“My time here ended the way it had to. I won more than I ever imagined, and now I’m thrilled to see my colleagues succeed; I truly enjoy it. I think Djokovic has had an impressive career and is still playing because, for the moment, he can,” Nadal said (via Diario AS).
“I don’t think we need to discuss whether it’s good for tennis or not. Whether one wins or the other wins. He had a great opportunity in Melbourne, and at this stage of his career, to be honest, he doesn’t have that many left. But I think what he’s achieving is admirable,” he added.
Earlier, Nadal had taken exception to tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s comparison of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic). Mouratoglou opined that prime Sinner and Alcaraz would have dominated the Big 3. The Spaniard termed Mouratoglou’s analysis as flawed, saying that the older players had their own specific career paths, while acknowledging that Sinner and Alcaraz are great ambassadors of the sport today.
Rafael Nadal Says Carlos Alcaraz is No Longer a Promising Talent
In the same interview, Nadal praised his compatriot Alcaraz’s growth in men’s tennis at such a young age, saying that he was no longer a promising talent, having already proven his might on court multiple times in recent years.
“No, no, he’s not a promising talent. He has seven Grand Slams; he’s not a promising talent at all. He has managed to join the ranks of the all-time great Grand Slam players. There aren’t that many players who have seven Grand Slams. So he’s not a promising talent, not at all,” Nadal said.
On February 1, Nadal graced the Rod Laver Arena to witness Alcaraz defeat Djokovic in the men’s singles final of the Australian Open. This was his first appearance on center court in Melbourne since he last played there in 2023. Nadal announced his retirement from tennis in 2024, bringing to an end an illustrious career with 22 Grand Slam titles.
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