What Alcaraz achieved in his first 200 matches that Djokovic, Nadal and Federer couldn’t
We look at how Carlos Alcaraz compares to the Big Three across his first 200 Tour-level matches – and where the Spaniard stands alone in his achievements
Virginie Bouyer / Panoramic
Day five of the Australian Open 2024 saw Carlos Alcaraz defeat Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(3). In doing so, the 20-year-old completed his 200th Tour-level match.
Many have already drawn parallels between Alcaraz and the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer despite his young age.
While comparing between eras is challenging, career landmarks such as this are an apt time to reflect on how Alcaraz’s career is tracking. With the double century under his belt, we break down how the Spaniard’s career so far compares to some of the all-time greats.
Spoiler alert: There’s one stat that Alcaraz stands alone on.
Carlos Alcaraz
It’s no secret that the current world No 2 has had a rapid start to his career, first grabbing headlines as an 18-year-old when he won his maiden title in Umag. Since his first Tour-level match, here’s how Alcaraz’s career has unfolded:
- 157 wins
- 43 defeats
- 12 titles
- Two Grand Slams
Across his opening 200 Tour-level matches, Alcaraz has accrued a win percentage of 78.5 per cent. By far his biggest achievements to date have been Grand Slam titles at the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon, where he beat Novak Djokovic in five sets.
As well as this, the Spaniard has four Masters 1000 titles to his name, four ATP 500s and two ATP 250s. He became both the youngest-ever world No 1 as a 19-year-old, and the youngest-ever year-end No 1 in 2022, holding the top spot for a total of 36 weeks.
Rafael Nadal
Bursting onto the scene as a muscular young Spaniard that was destined to rival Federer, Nadal also won his first title aged 18. Over the next two years, the Mallorca-native went on a tear, racking up these stats over his first 200 Tour-level matches:
- 158 wins
- 42 defeats
- 16 titles
- One Grand Slam
Compared to Alcaraz, Nadal beats the 20-year-old on all metrics except for one. The 22-time Grand Slam champion won one more match than Alcaraz, giving him a win percentage of 79 per cent. He also picked up a whopping four more titles than his countryman, claiming six Masters 1000 titles (two more than Alcaraz) and five ATP 500s (one more than Alcaraz).
However, the big difference is in Grand Slams. By 200 matches, Alcaraz had won two Grand Slams. Nadal only managed one in this period, winning the 2005 Roland-Garros.
Novak Djokovic
Currently the undisputed GOAT of tennis, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic entered the fray as something of an underdog. The Serbian found himself in a world dominated by Nadal and Federer, but still managed to produce some impressive results across his opening 200 matches:
- 144 wins
- 56 defeats
- 9 titles
- One Grand Slam
It took until 19 years old before Djokovic won his first title, claiming the now-defunct Dutch Open in Amersfoort. He motored along at a 72 per cent win rate in his first 200 Tour-level matches, winning 12 matches less than Alcaraz. He also claimed three titles less, with just three Masters 1000 titles and one ATP 500.
Similar to Nadal, Djokovic won one Grand Slam in his first 200 matches, claiming the Australian Open in 2008.
Roger Federer
Before Djokovic, before Nadal, and certainly before Alcaraz, there was Federer. The Swiss maestro won the hearts of many with his silky smooth style of play, but surprisingly had a slow start to his career. Here’s how his first 200 matches tracked:
- 124 wins
- 76 defeats
- 2 titles
- Zero Grand Slams
Federer’s first few years on Tour were noticeably less successful than Alcaraz’s. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had a win percentage of only 62 percent, a good 16.5 per cent less than the Spaniard. He’d also only won two titles–both ATP 250 events in Milan and Sydney–and wouldn’t win his first Grand Slam until he was 22 years old.
So where does this leave Alcaraz, compared to the Big Three?
That depends entirely on what you give weight to. Nadal had won more matches and titles, while Alcaraz stands alone as the only player to have won two Grand Slams across his opening 200 matches.
