Alcaraz claims Djokovic-Nadal-Federer rivalry “practically impossible to repeat”

21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is on course to create history alongside Jannik Sinner and other contemporaries but is certain the tennis world won’t see a greater rivalry than that of Big Three—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Alcaraz claimed the same ahead of his exhibition appearance against Frances Tiafoe at ‘Battle of Legends’ in Puerto Rico.

“They have set the bar for tennis and what can be done at an astronomical level,” the Spaniard told El Nuevo Dia. “There are many players capable of winning Grand Slams, of beating the best. Young players, including myself, who can really be fighting for great things. But getting to the point of that rivalry between Rafa, Federer and Djokovic, the truth is that it will be practically impossible to repeat that. We will have our battles; I will have my battles with great players, but a rivalry like theirs will be practically impossible.”

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The youngster, already a four-time Grand Slam champion, further commented on the evolution of tennis, suggesting the Big Three produced distinctive tennis than their predecessors and, similarly, the present generation has different conditions to deal with.

“The era of [John] McEnroe and all those players has been very different from that of Federer, Rafa and Djokovic. And our stage, our moment is going to be different from that of them. Tennis is changing: the tournaments, the speed of the balls, everything changes. And we have to keep changing as tennis evolves. I think that Rafa, Federer and Djokovic have accustomed us in a certain way, but tennis will continue to evolve and we will evolve.”

in the end they are three of the best in the history of our sport.

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz didn’t get to face Federer on the ATP Tour at all but exchanged a few blows with compatriot Nadal and has developed an intense rivalry with Djokovic in the recent past.

He met Nadal on the court thrice, losing the head-to-head battle 2-1. He has battled the Serb eight times thus far and trails 5-3 in the rivalry, most recently failing in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Despite being on the wrong side of the tallies, Alcaraz feels honoured to have shared the court with the legends.

“I’ve played much less with Federer,” he added. “But it’s a source of pride; in the end they are three of the best in the history of our sport. To have played even briefly with some, and with others more, has been incredible for me. They are role models. Rafa has been my idol and the other two, I have great respect for what they have done, and great admiration. So, to have shared time with them, for me, has been incredible.”

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