Rafael Nadal wants ATP stars to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominance ‘for good of the sport’
Rafael Nadal says he is ‘really enjoying’ the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, though he hopes stronger rivals emerge soon to challenge the pair.
The last 30 months of men’s tennis have largely been defined by the Italian and the Spaniard, with the duo winning each of the last nine Grand Slam titles between them.
In mid-April, Sinner and Alcaraz’s combined total of 26,590 ranking points marked the highest tally ever achieved by two players in ATP rankings history.
That figure was also higher than the combined total of their six nearest challengers, underlining the significant gap in both consistency and results.
This season, after winning his maiden Australian Open title, Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam, breaking an Open Era record previously held by Nadal.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion retired in late 2024, but recently admitted he has been “really, really enjoying” the pair’s remarkable rise to the top of the sport.
However, Nadal also stressed that other contenders need to step up “for the good of tennis”.
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“It’s clear that the players expected to challenge them are not performing at the level many anticipated,” Nadal told EFE.
“Because of that, they’ve earned the right to stand above the rest.
“They deserve congratulations for everything they’re achieving, and what Jannik Sinner is doing by winning the first Masters 1000 tournaments of the season is truly unique and exceptional.
“As a fan, I’m really enjoying watching records continue to be broken.
“Carlos Alcaraz already has seven Grand Slam titles. It’s a remarkable period in tennis, with these two players defining an era.
“Are other players missing from the conversation? Maybe. But for the good of the sport, I hope more challengers emerge.”
Indeed, world No 3 Alexander Zverev has lost each of his last nine meetings against Sinner, while also being beaten in four of his previous five clashes with Alcaraz.
The likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev have also struggled to consistently challenge the leading duo over the past two seasons, despite all spending significant time inside the top 10.
Despite a semi-final defeat at the season’s opening Grand Slam, Sinner has won all five Masters 1000 tournaments played in 2026, becoming the first man in history to achieve the feat.
In addition, he became the first player since Nadal in 2010 to win all three clay-court Masters 1000 events in the same season.
Those victories extended Sinner’s current winning streak to 29 matches, while he also completed the Golden Masters by winning every Masters 1000 title at least once – joining Novak Djokovic as the only men to accomplish the achievement.
