‘A peak Rafael Nadal could have lost to Alcaraz & Sinner at French Open,’ says his ex-coach

Ewan West 12 Nov 2026 10:00 PM

Rafael Nadal with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz inset

Rafael Nadal’s former coach has made an intriguing claim about hypothetical French Open matchups between the legendary Spaniard and both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Nadal secured an astonishing 14 French Open titles — which is the record for the most titles won at a single Grand Slam tournament in tennis history.

The former world No 1 amassed a staggering 112-4 record across his 19 appearances at Roland Garros between 2005 and 2024.

The ‘King of Clay’, who brought the curtain down on his remarkable career in 2024, won his 22nd and final Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open.

Alcaraz and Sinner have been the two dominant forces in men’s tennis in the past three years, with the duo winning nine consecutive majors between them from the 2024 Australian Open to the 2026 Australian Open.

Nadal won all three of his meetings with a young Sinner, including straight-set victories at Roland Garros in 2020 and 2021, while he retired with a 2-1 edge over Alcaraz, with all three of their encounters coming at Masters 1000 events.

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In an interview with Clay, Carlos Moya — who coached Nadal from 2017 until his retirement — was asked if Alcaraz and Sinner could have beaten the best version of Nadal at Roland Garros.

“Well, they could definitely beat him in a single match,” said the former world No 1.

“If we look at the long term, I think Rafa would win more matches than them. But in a single match, they could definitely beat him.

“Especially Alcaraz. I think Alcaraz is the best in the world on clay right now, whether he wins Roland Garros or not. In a single match, Alcaraz can obviously beat Rafa.

“If it’s a five-set match at Roland Garros, on that court, given the history and style of play, I think Rafa would be the favourite.

“But Alcaraz could very well beat Rafa at any given moment. And Sinner too. But in the long run, Rafa would win more matches.”

The 1998 French Open champion also addressed whether Nadal would have had the edge over Sinner and Alcaraz in long matches.

“Rafa is superior over the long distance,” assessed Moya. “And it’s true that if the match goes to extra time against Sinner, Rafa would have a significant advantage.

“Less so against Alcaraz, because he can handle it physically and mentally.

“Rafa would be the favourite if he played against them, but that doesn’t mean he can’t lose.”