Rafael Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz is ‘more magic’ than Jannik Sinner but insists both 'have room to improve’ and reach new heights
Published 05/09/2025 at 22:15 GMT+1
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Outlining the difference between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal said his fellow Spaniard is “more magic” but that he is not as consistent as his rival. The pair look set to dominate the men’s game for years to come and have already served up a host of classic encounters. But none more so than this year’s French Open final, which Nadal admitted was “super emotional”.
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Video credit: SNTV
Rafael Nadal has given his take on the two players who have established themselves as the new stars of the game and who look set to dominate men’s tennis for the foreseeable future.
After the 'Big Four' era, there were concerns we might never see the likes of Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray again, but Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have emphatically picked up the mantle.
Some might even say they have taken the men’s game to new heights. After all, both have enjoyed success against Djokovic, the last man standing of his aforementioned era, on some of the sport’s biggest stages.
Whether they have or have not is perhaps irrelevant. What is more important is that the burgeoning rivalry between the duo is keeping tennis in the spotlight.
It is a fascinating match-up in more ways than one. Not only are they both supremely talented, but the intrigue comes from the different ways in which they use their talent.
Alcaraz, already a five-time Grand Slam champion at just 22 years old, is more swashbuckling and unpredictable. Whereas Sinner is more like a tennis terminator, who uses his combination of power and accuracy from the baseline to overwhelm the vast majority of those who cross his path.
That being said, though, Nadal is adamant that both can get even better.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, the Spaniard said: "He [Sinner] puts a rhythm on the forehand that is very difficult to follow. He’s very quick on picking the ball early and he’s quick on the transition from defending to attacking.
"Carlos is more magic, he’s more unpredictable, he can play at a level that probably sometimes Jannik cannot.
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Djokovic looks to 'mess up the plans' of Alcaraz-Sinner final
Video credit: SNTV
"But at the same time, he’s making more mistakes, too - he can play better, but he can play worse, and it’s about finding the balance. Carlos has all the shots, sometimes he’s making mistakes, but he’s going for the shots and it’s more amazing to see because at the end it’s more unexpected and unpredictable.
"I like it, it’s very funny to see Carlos play because he’s able to produce amazing things and at the same time, he’s able to have mistakes, and that’s human.
"From my point of view, Carlos can improve a little bit [on] the tactical way to approach some matches. Sometimes it feels like he always plays for every big shot, and sometimes, he doesn’t need that much.
"That’s why I’m interested in how they evolve, because I think both of them have room to improve, and they are so good."
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Sinner and Alcaraz have met 14 times, and it is the latter who leads the head-to-head 9-5. When the pair collide, it is normally a very tight affair, but the Spaniard has made the difference thanks to his scintillating ability to elevate his game to incredible heights when the pressure is at its greatest.
It was no more apparent than at this year’s Roland-Garros final. A break down to Sinner in the fourth and staring down the barrel of his rival’s three championship points at 0-40 on his own serve, Alcaraz somehow found a way to recover and come through a deciding 10-point tie-break to claim his second title in Paris.
It was immediately labelled one of the greatest matches in history, and Nadal was just as gripped as everybody else fortunate enough to see the drama unfold.
But even though it might have stirred memories of the five-set Grand Slam epics he was involved in during his long career, it did not leave him wishing he was still out on tour competing.
"The match was unbelievable because it was super emotional at the end," Nadal added.
"For me, the first three sets were not that high-quality tennis. It was a normal final. Then, [the] fourth and fifth sets were a high-quality fight.
"That’s from my point of view, talking about if I had to play against them. The fourth and fifth sets were super, super high-level tennis, emotional, had a little bit of everything.
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Highlights: Alcaraz overpowers Sinner in classic Roland-Garros final
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Before, for me, I think Carlos didn’t play at his level. From my perspective, I think he was a little bit wrong tactically.
"Jannik, of course, he was unlucky, up 0-40, but when he had the chance to go for it, I think he was not playing with the right determination.
"I think he stopped doing what he was doing good - going for the shots and playing with this extra speed on the ball at the moment that he had to take advantage. He didn’t play as aggressive as he was doing before.
"But overall, if we put the full picture, the final was unforgettable. It was amazing. The end of the match was one of the most emotional that I saw and I was lucky to see that as a fan from home.
"I am not there anymore. I changed my mind after my retirement. I accepted 100% of my new life.
"Of course, as a tennis player, I’m not only watching the match, I try always, but I am analysing things. That’s something that I can’t avoid yet, but it’s not that I wish I was playing the match."
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