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Tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz turned 20 years old on May 5, 2023. It was almost exactly a year ago, in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open, that he recorded his first win against Rafael Nadal.
This year, he celebrated his birthday with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Borna Coric to advance to the final in Madrid.
Alcaraz made his ATP main-draw debut in 2020 at the age of 16. Since then, he has had a phenomenal career, winning a grand slam and attaining the ATP No.1 ranking in the process. Not since his compatriot Nadal has the tennis world witnessed such a run of form from a teenager.
In light of Alcaraz turning 20, let's take a look at how his tennis career as a teenager compares to that of Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz or Rafael Nadal: Who was a better tennis player as a teen?
Grand Slams
Rafael Nadal turned professional in 2001, at the age of 15. He made his first appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the Wimbledon Championships in 2003, where he became the youngest man since Boris Becker to advance to the third round.
Two years later, at the French Open, he won his first Grand Slam title. After a blistering start to the season that year, which saw him ascend to World No. 5 in the ATP rankings, Nadal entered Roland Garros as the favorite.
After defeating the then World No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals, he proceeded to make quick work of Argentinian Mariano Puerta in the final to clinch the first of his 22 Slam titles a few days after he turned 19.
That remains the only Major he won as a teenager. Nadal, who hadn't yet developed into an all-court player, struggled in the other three Slams. He successfully defended his French Open trophy in 2006 as a 20-year-old, triumphing over Roger Federer in a four-set epic.
Carlos Alcaraz first caught the attention of tennis fans when he reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 US Open. But it was in 2022 that he truly emerged as a Grand Slam contender.
The high point of the year for Alcaraz was the US Open, where he beat Casper Ruud in four sets in the final to lift the men's singles trophy. In doing so, he became the youngest Major winner since Nadal.
Alcaraz had to miss the 2023 Australian Open due to a right leg injury which prevented him from attempting to add another laurel to his teenage tennis career.
ATP Masters 1000s
Rafael Nadal entered six ATP Masters 1000 events in 2005, reaching five finals. His first final was at the Miami Open where he lost to Roger Federer in a famous five-set clash. He went from strength to strength that year, winning every other Masters 1000 final he made.
Nadal's maiden Masters 1000 title came in Monte Carlo, a tournament he then went on to dominate for the better part of the next decade. He followed it up with another claycourt title at Rome, triumphing over former French Open finalist Guillermo Coria in a five-set epic.
He proved he had what it takes to succeed on hardcourts as well by winning the Canadian Open and the Madrid Open. The latter used to be played on indoor hardcourts back then, and it remains the only indoor hardcourt title that Nadal has won to date.
By successfully defending his titles at Monte Carlo and Rome in 2006, he brought his career ATP Masters 1000 titles total up to six.
Carlos Alcaraz followed up his strong showing at the 2021 US Open, where he reached the quarterfinals, by reaching the semifinals of the 2022 Indian Wells Masters, where he ran into Nadal. The teenager put up a valiant effort but was unable to get past the veteran, losing in a three-set thriller.
Alcaraz bounced right back by winning the very next Masters 1000 event, the Miami Open. He followed this up with a famous win at the Madrid Open, where he had to run the gauntlet by facing the top three seeds — Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev — en route to the title.
By winning the 2023 Indian Wells title Alcaraz added a third Masters 1000 crown to his stellar CV as a teenager.
Other Takeaways
Shortly after winning the 2022 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest ATP World No. 1 since the rankings were officially instituted. He remains the only teenager to have done so.
Rafael Nadal first became the World No. 1 in 2008, as a 22-year-old. However, some would argue that since Nadal's teenage years coincided with the prime years of a certain Roger Federer, he had a harder path to the top of the ATP rankings.
Below is a table comprising some other metrics comparing the teenage tennis careers of Nadal and Alcaraz:
It's fair to say that while Carlos Alcaraz had an exceptional tennis career as a teenager, it still pales slightly in comparison to what Rafael Nadal accomplished during his teenage years.
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