Alcaraz lost to Djokovic in four sets, as he failed to reach a maiden Australian Open semi-final in 2025.

21-year-old Alcaraz will now turn his attention to the French Open, where he is the defending champion, after beating Alexander Zverev in the 2024 final.

The Spaniard defended a Grand Slam title for the first time last year, as he won his second consecutive Wimbledon title against Djokovic.

Only time will tell if Alcaraz can do the same at Roland Garros in June, but one former ATP star has now made a bold claim about how many titles he would win in Paris had he been born just a few years earlier.

Feliciano Lopez says Carlos Alcaraz would never win the French Open against prime Rafael Nadal

Former world number seven Mardy Fish took to X recently to ask whether Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner would win Major titles against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic in their primes.

“How many Majors are [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz winning with [Rafael] Nadal/ [Roger] Federer/ Novak [Djokovic in their primes?” he asked.

Three-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist Feliciano Lopez replied, defending the legacy of the legendary Nadal.

“The only thing I can guarantee is that they [Carlos Alcaraz/Jannik Sinner] would have won zero Roland Garros’ vs Rafa [Nadal] in his prime,” he said.

He then went one step further, suggesting that the two youngsters would’ve struggled to compete against prime Djokovic and Federer on grass.

“Very unlikely also that they would have won [against] RF [Roger Federer] and ND [Novak Djokovic] on the green carpet,” he said.

At Wimbledon and the French Open, Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer won a combined 35 titles during their careers.

In comparison, the young pair combine for just three, thanks to the Spaniard’s performances over the past two years.

• Wimbledon 2023 – Carlos Alcaraz
• French Open 2024 – Carlos Alcaraz
• Wimbledon 2024 – Carlos Alcaraz

It is, however, impossible to know how many titles Alcaraz would have won against Nadal in his prime, as we never quite got to see the two face off at their very best.

Did Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal ever play each other on clay?

The two Spaniards never had the opportunity to play against one another at Roland Garros, but that’s not to say that they haven’t battled it out on the red stuff.

Alcaraz took on Nadal at the 2021, and 2022 Madrid Masters, with two very different outcomes.

2021 Madrid Masters – Rafael Nadal beats Carlos Alcaraz, 6-1, 6-2

Alcaraz played Nadal for the first time during his debut season on the ATP Tour, meeting in the second round of the Madrid Masters 1000 event.

Despite his best efforts, the young Spaniard couldn’t quite keep up with the five-time champion, as he won just two games in a straight-set defeat.

2022 Madrid Masters – Carlos Alcaraz beats Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3

Never one to be discouraged, Alcaraz took on Nadal once more in 2022, in the quarter-finals.

One year older, the Spanish youngster produced some excellent tennis to take the first set against Nadal.

The 20-time Major champion fought back to take the second 6-1, in a scoreline that would no doubt have reminded Alcaraz of their meeting one year earlier, before he charged back in the third.

With a winner on match point that will surely never be forgotten, Alcaraz secured his first and only career win over Nadal.

Tennis fans will never know how Alcaraz would have competed against a prime Nadal, but it’s also fair to argue that the world number three hasn’t entered his prime yet either.

At 21, there is plenty more to come from Alcaraz, who will look to slowly chase down Nadal’s incredible 14 titles at Roland Garros.

The 2025 French Open is set to begin on Sunday, May 25.

Related Topics