Carlos Alcaraz’s rise is ‘nearly a miracle,’ says ex-World No. 2 as he compares Spaniard to Rafael Nadal in glowing assessment

Carlos Alcaraz was recently likened to the legendary Rafael Nadal by Spanish former ATP icon Alex Corretja. According to Corretja, the fact that Alcaraz has already won several Majors and become World No. 1 at a young age makes him “comparable” to the now-retired Nadal.

The 2022 US Open marked Alcaraz’s first Slam title and also helped him reach the summit of the ATP Tour’s singles rankings. Since then, the Spaniard hasn’t looked back, winning the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon Championships, the 2024 and 2025 French Open, and most recently, this year’s US Open. Along the way, the 22-year-old has also won multiple ATP 500 and Masters 1000-level titles.

In fact, Alcaraz’s recent title-winning campaign at Flushing Meadows (at 22 years and 125 days) made him the second youngest men’s tennis player to clinch six Major titles; a record previously held by Nadal (22 years and 243 days). Bjorn Borg though, remains the youngest (22 years and 32 days) to achieve the miraculous feat.

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Speaking to Bolavip, former ATP No. 2 and 17-time career singles titlist Alex Corretja lauded Carlos Alcaraz before eventually comparing him to Rafael Nadal.

"It’s a blessing to have a player like Carlos Alcaraz. He is truly a gift to the sport. It is nearly a miracle to be honest. We have had so many great players in the past, but after Rafael Nadal, our legend of the sport, all of a sudden we have Carlos who is comparable," Corretja said.

"He is winning Grand Slams, he is the world No. 1. It is something very unexpected and very fortunate for us to have him," he added.

"Winning my fifth Grand Slam at same age as Rafael Nadal, that's destiny" - Carlos Alcaraz after French Open 2025 title triumph

After defeating rival Jannik Sinner in a marathon five-set battle in the final of this year's French Open, Carlos Alcaraz shared his thoughts on winning five Grand Slam titles at the same age as Rafael Nadal did during his playing days. According to the Spaniard, the coincidence was "destiny".

"Honestly the coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam in the same age as Rafa Nadal, I'm going to say that's the destiny, I guess. "I mean, it is a stat that I'm going to keep for me forever, winning the fifth Grand Slam at the same time as Rafa, my idol, my inspiration," Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz will very soon be in action again, this time at the 2025 Laver Cup in San Francisco. Last year, the Spaniard made a memorable Laver Cup debut, as his performances spearheaded Team Europe's charge to the title.

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About the author

Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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