Carlos Alcaraz might not be able to match Rafael Nadal‘s achievements on the major stage, according to their compatriot Fernando Verdasco.
Verdasco recently officially retired at the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha alongside his friend Novak Djokovic. The two played in the doubles tournament and lost in the second round of the event.
Now in his retirement, Verdasco will get to enjoy a different side of life. The 41-year-old Spaniard will also have a chance to watch the new generation of players rise, and he is certainly happy that one of the leaders comes from his country.
Over the years, Rafael Nadal was one of the players who was always a favorite for the biggest trophies. He battled with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for all of the majors.
Now, it’s Carlos Alcaraz, who is one of the best players in the world, along with Jannik Sinner, who is currently ranked as the ATP World No. 1.
According to Verdasco, who spoke to the French publication L’Equipe, Alcaraz and Sinner are like the Big Three in the sense that they are just much better than everyone else.
“Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are kind of like Roger, Rafa, and Novak were. They’re above the rest. Of course, they can lose, but you can clearly see they have something extra. In every Grand Slam, they’re the favorites.”
While Verdasco thinks that Alcaraz is now far ahead of the rest of the field together with Sinner, he doesn’t believe the 21-year-old Spaniard will replicate the success that his compatriot Nadal had.
As now a retired player, Verdasco knows how challenging it is to stay healthy. He thinks that might be one of the main challenges, as getting injured significantly derails chances of winning many majors.
“I’m often asked if Alcaraz will win as many Grand Slams as Nadal. What I can say is that it’s almost impossible. Winning 22 Majors—you don’t need to be that clever to realize what that means. You’d have to win two or three every year throughout your career. So, the moment you get injured, need surgery, or have any physical issue, it makes things much harder.”
At the same time, Verdasco admitted that if he was told a few years ago that Djokovic would win 24 majors, he also wouldn’t believe that. That’s why he’s open-minded and supports the young generation because he thinks records are meant to be broken.
“For me, winning a Grand Slam every year is inconceivable. But they’re still young. And if you had asked me 20 years ago if Djokovic would win 24 Grand Slams, I would’ve said it was impossible. Same for Rafa’s 22. Yet, they did it. Records are meant to be broken, after all. As a Spaniard, I still hope Alcaraz will manage to do it.”
