"Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner are above all the others, I don't see a rival who can overshadow them"

Rafael Nadal recently stated that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner stand out as the top tennis players of their generation. He said that he does not see any "rivals" who could surpass and "possibly overshadow" their talent and skill.

This season has been successful for both Alcaraz and Sinner, with each securing multiple titles. The Spaniard claimed four titles, including the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. Meanwhile, the World No.1, won seven titles, including the Australian Open and the US Open.

Alcaraz boasts of winning four Grand Slam titles and 16 ATP tour-level singles titles including five ATP Masters 1000 titles in his career. On the other hand, Sinner has two Grand Slam titles, 17 singles titles on the ATP Tour, with four Masters 1000 titles under his belt. Both players have also been ranked World No.1 in the ATP rankings.

During a recent interview with Spanish outlet AS, Rafael Nadal praised Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as superior to their peers on the ATP tour. He expressed that there is no other player currently who can consistently outshine them.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion also acknowledged that the only scenario in which any other player could surpass Alcaraz and Sinner would be if they were hindered by injuries that prevented them from performing at their best.

"These two [Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner] are above all the others. I don't see a rival who can overshadow them on a continuous basis. On a day-to-day basis, there are obviously a lot of very good people. But in the medium term, there is no one who can really compete with them as long as they don't have an injury that prevents them from performing at the same level," Rafael Nadal said [translated from Spanish] .

Rafael Nadal: "If Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner manage to maintain this level, they will be generating great interest"

Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open [Source: Getty]

In the interview, Rafael Nadal expressed that if Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz can sustain their current level of play over the years, they will undoubtedly capture the attention and generate "interest" among the people.

"We are talking about another era, one that has already arrived with a player like Carlos, who has four Grand Slams. Jannik, two. Every year there are champions and if they manage to maintain this level, they will also be generating great interest. Over time this interest will grow for obvious reasons, because great stars and personalities are not made in two days," Nadal said.

Due to brilliant performances this year, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have secured their spots in the 2024 ATP Finals alongside Alexander Zverev.

In 2023, Alcaraz made it to the semifinals of the tournament but was defeated by eventual champion Novak Djokovic. On the other hand, Sinner reached the final but fell short of claiming the title against Djokovic.

About the author

Since joining Sportskeeda as a journalist in January 2023, Sreeja has remained steadfast in delivering thorough coverage of the tennis world. Her bachelor's degree in English has proven invaluable, with over 1000 articles already under her belt for the company.

While writing, Sreeja prioritizes reliability by sourcing information from credible outlets and presenting various perspectives to her readers. She regularly keeps track of updates by closely monitoring the official websites of WTA and ATP, as well as the social media profiles of prominent journalists.

Sreeja draws inspiration from Rafael Nadal's unparalleled dominance on clay courts and Steffi Graf's remarkable career trajectory, while also holding Novak Djokovic in high esteem. Her passion for tennis reaches its peak during the Australian Open and the French Open, particularly relishing the clay court matches.

When she is not collecting information about tennis, she fills her time with reading and playing darts while also keeping her finger on the pulse of pop culture.

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