Spanish tennis luminary, Fernando Verdasco, recently hung up his racket and weighed in on the future prospects of emerging star Carlos Alcaraz. Verdasco, once ranked as high as number seven globally, shared his insights into whether Alcaraz could match or even surpass the Grand Slam tally of his illustrious compatriot, Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz, who will be blowing out 22 candles on his birthday cake come May 5, has already notched up four Grand Slam victories. He made a name for himself by clinching his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open, where he outclassed Casper Ruud in the final. This momentous win catapulted him into the history books as the youngest world number one in ATP history, a feat he accomplished at just 19 years and four months old.
Continuing his ascend in the tennis world, Alcaraz bested Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set match at Wimbledon in 2023, securing his second major. The following year, he claimed the French Open title after a hard-fought five-set victory over Alexander Zverev, before successfully defending his Wimbledon crown by sweeping Djokovic aside in a straight-set final.
However, the phenomenal record set by Nadal, who took his final bow from professional tennis last November, is still a tough act to follow. Nadal’s staggering 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 French Opens, four US Opens, two Wimbledon titles, and two Australian Opens, are second only to Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam haul in the annals of men’s tennis.
Verdasco offered his perspective on Alcaraz and another rising star, Jannik Sinner, drawing parallels between them and the legendary Big Three – Nadal, Djokovic, and Roger Federer. According to a quote attributed to Verdasco by L’Equipe, he believes, “Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, they are a bit like Roger, Rafa and Novak were. They are above the others.” He further stated that while these young stars could, of course, be defeated, they clearly possess something extra that makes them favorites at every Grand Slam.
Despite this high praise, Verdasco voiced his skepticism about Alcaraz matching Nadal’s Grand Slam record, labeling it as an ‘almost impossible’ task. He elaborated, “Winning 22 majors, you don’t have to be that smart to see what that represents. You have to win two or three every year in your career. So, as soon as you are injured, you have an operation or you have a physical problem, it complicates things.”
Verdasco, who paired up with Djokovic for his swan song event at the Qatar Open in Doha, certainly knows the challenges and pressure of the professional tennis circuit. His words serve as a sobering reminder of the extraordinary dedication and resilience required to reach the pinnacle of this highly competitive sport.
