Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will forever be remembered for defining an era of dominance in tennis, winning a combined 66 Grand Slam titles. For many, the “Big Three” are the greatest players in history, but John McEnroe believes there’s one player who, at the same age, is even more complete than the three legends.
For the former world No. 1, that player is Carlos Alcaraz. “I mean, I’ve watched tennis for 50 years or longer… Of all the players I’ve ever watched, at this age, I’ve never seen a player this good and this complete for the last two or three years,” McEnroe told Tennis Channel.
The numbers back up McEnroe’s assessment. Federer kickstarted his era of dominance by winning Wimbledon in 2003—his first of 20 Grand Slam titles—at age 22.
Nadal burst onto the scene two years later, winning Roland Garros in 2005 at just 19, ultimately finishing with 22 majors and igniting his storied rivalry with Federer. Djokovic claimed his first major in 2008 at 21 and has since gone on to capture a record 24 Grand Slam titles, eclipsing both Federer and Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz poses with the 2025 US Open trophy. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Yet none of them had matched Alcaraz’s pace at the same age. By 22, the Spaniard has already collected six Grand Slam titles. Only Nadal came close, with five majors by that point in his career.
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Nadal on Alcaraz’s future
Speaking with Spanish outlet RNE, Rafael Nadal praised Alcaraz’s trajectory but also urged caution about expectations. “His career looks like it’s on track to become something unique,” said the 14-time French Open champion. “I just hope it’s a long career, because that’s what he’ll need to reach certain milestones”.
Nadal emphasized that Alcaraz’s age means there is still plenty of time, but also potential risks. “Hopefully injuries stay away and everything goes well for him. For now, he already has six Grand Slams,” Nadal said. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…”
The Spanish legend continued to highlight the achievements of the current world No. 1. “Six Grand Slams is an incredible number,” Nadal said. “I just hope he can win as many as possible”.
