Mercurial Carlos Alcaraz is already a tennis legend, says Rafael Nadal
By
SABC Sport
12th February 2026
Following Carlos Alcaraz's historic triumph at the Australian Open earlier this month, which earned him a career Grand Slam, Rafael Nadal believes he's become a legend.
Alcaraz became the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, sealing a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final.
The Spaniard is just the sixth man in the Open Era to have won all four Grand Slam events, following in the footsteps of Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, and Rod Laver.
And, the 22-year-old has now won a total of seven Grand Slam singles titles during his career, with his triumph in Melbourne following two French Open, two Wimbledon, and two US Open victories.
Alcaraz's seven Grand Slam titles tie him with Mats Wilander and John McEnroe in the Open Era men's singles standings, with only eight men in the Open Era having won more major singles titles than him.
Nadal is the only Spaniard to have won more Grand Slam singles titles than Alcaraz, with the tennis icon winning a staggering 22 major titles before his 2024 retirement.
The 39-year-old was courtside for Alcaraz's win over Djokovic in the Rod Laver Arena, and congratulated his compatriot in person following the final.
Alcaraz is often still seen as a young player at the age of 22, but has a CV that undoubtedly cements his place among the best players ever to play the sport.
And, in quotes reported by Europa Press following a recent press conference in Spain, Nadal was keen to highlight Alcaraz's staggering achievements.
He said (translated from Spanish): "Alcaraz is no up-and-coming player; he has seven Grand Slam titles.
"He's already a legend of our sport. If you look at all the great players in history, there aren't many who have won seven majors.
"In Australia, he played a high-level, hard-fought match where the age difference was evident, but each player tried to give their best with their own strengths. I really enjoyed watching the final."
While Alcaraz may be some way from matching the Slam tally of the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer, the Spaniard looks primed for further success in the near future.
An eighth Grand Slam title would put him level with Agassi, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl in the Open Era men's singles standings.
Should he ultimately hit double figures in Grand Slam titles won, he would join Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Pete Sampras, and Bjorn Borg as the only men in the Open Era to win 10+ majors.
The Spaniard has not been in action since his triumph at the Australian Open, with the world No 1 choosing to withdraw from his title defence at the Rotterdam Open.
However, Alcaraz is still set to return to action at the Qatar Open in Doha next week.
