The Roland Garros, is the most prestigious clay-court tournament in tennis history, stands as one of the four Grand Slam events and the second on the ATP calendar. Rafael Nadal, the undisputed “King of clay,” holds the record for the most Roland Garros titles with an astounding 14 wins. But how many of those victories did Nadal secure by the age of Carlos Alcaraz, the rising Spanish star and reigning champion?
At just 22 years old, Carlos Alcaraz has already built an impressive résumé. With four Grand Slam titles under his belt, including his first at the 2022 US Open at the age of 19, Alcaraz became the youngest World No. 1 in ATP history. Among his Grand Slam triumphs is the 2024 Roland Garros title, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final.
Nadal’s legacy at Roland Garros is unparalleled. By the time he was 22, Nadal had already captured three consecutive French Open titles, in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
His first title at age 19 came after defeating then-World No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals and Mariano Puerta in the final. This victory made Nadal only the second player in history, after Mats Wilander, to win Roland Garros on his debut.
Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with the winners trophy after his 3-1 sets victory over Mariano Puerta of Argentina during the 2005 Roland Garros. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
The following year, Nadal claimed his second title by overcoming Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and once again defeating Federer in the final. In 2007, Nadal completed the three-peat with another victory over Federer in the championship match.
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Carlos Alcaraz makes history with Italian Open title, extends Nadal’s clay-court legacy with win over Sinner
In comparison to the other members of the “Big Three,” Roger Federer had yet to win a Grand Slam by the age of 22. Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, claimed his first major title at 21, winning the 2008 Australian Open.
Alcaraz’s career so far
At 22, Alcaraz has already claimed 19 ATP titles, including four Grand Slam championships: a Roland Garros title, two Wimbledon titles, and the 2022 US Open.
In addition to his Grand Slam success, Alcaraz boasts seven Masters 1000 titles, the most recent being the 2025 Rome Open, where he defeated Jannik Sinner. His career also includes six ATP 500 titles and two ATP 250 victories, signaling a bright future for the young Spaniard as he looks to build on an already impressive legacy.
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