Carlos Alcaraz just completed his career grand slam at age 22 by winning the Australian Open earlier this month. He now has seven major titles in just 20 appearances—an incredible feat.
Alcaraz is already the next men’s tennis superstar, and he’s already being named among the all-time greats in the sport. With his seven major titles, Alcaraz has matched legends like John McEnroe and Mats Wilander, for instance.
Is it too premature to call Alcaraz a tennis legend at this point in his career? Rafael Nadal, who finished his career with 22 major titles, doesn’t think so. He advocated for his fellow Spaniard when speaking to media this week.
“He’s not a prospect. He has seven slams, so he’s definitely not just a promise for the future. He’s already a legend,” Nadal said via the Europa Press (as translated into English). “If you look at the historic greats in Slams there aren’t many who have seven. Calling him a prospect makes no sense.”
Mic drop.
Nadal’s always been a big fan of Alcaraz, and vice versa. Alcaraz grew up watching and idolizing Nadal, and now he has his idol in his corner. The retired tennis star was in attendance at the Australian Open final when Alcaraz made history by becoming the youngest men’s player to complete the career grand slam, a feat Nadal previously held.
Alcaraz has shown no signs of slowing down, either. He competed in three of the four major finals last year and won two of them. In 2024, he won two majors as well. If tennis legends are measured by the amount of majors they win, then Alcaraz is on pace to put up some historic numbers. Novak Djokovic currently holds the Open Era record with 24 majors (he’s tied with Margaret Court for the all-time record).
More on Sports Illustrated
- Mannix’s NBA Notes: Anthony Davis’s Wizards Fit, Dillon Brooks Should Be an All-Star
- The NBA’s Tanking Crisis Is Worse Than Ever. Here’s How to Fix It.
- Men’s Basketball Bracket Watch: Three New Teams Enter, Top Seed Check After Losses
- Alabama Earned Its Scarlet Letter in the Charles Bediako Eligibility Fight
- Alabama’s Brazen Charles Bediako Play Backfires and Gives NCAA a Rare Win
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rafael Nadal Believes That Carlos Alcaraz Is Already a Tennis ‘Legend’.
