Sinner and Alcaraz ‘not at the level’ of ‘monster’ Rafa Nadal claims Richard Gasquet
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been told they are not at the level of Rafa Nadal yet, but could be one day.
The 2025 French Open final classic had many wondering if tennis’ current stars would be able to compete at the same level as the previous generation of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. But Richard Gasquet, who played against all five players, believes the likes of Nadal are still a cut above.
“It’s not easy to answer this question,” Gasquet told RMC Sports. “Nadal expressed a truly crazy level in Paris and he did it for many years.
“I think Rafa was superior to Jannik and Carlos on the red clay. I faced Sinner at the age of 39 and I didn’t make a fool of myself, but if I had faced Rafa in the same conditions, I would have struggled to win even one game.
“Alcaraz and Sinner are two incredible players and they will continue to improve, but they are not at the level of those monsters yet.”
Gasquet’s record of 18 matches and 18 losses to Nadal makes it little wonder why he rates the Spaniard so highly.
Speaking of his matches against the 14-time French Open champion, Gasquet conceded he developed “a big complex” as the losses piled up.
“Losing 18 times to the same player is a huge regret, I have to be honest,” he said previously. “It doesn’t make me smile that I never defeated him. A professional athlete is very competitive and ambitious, which is why it’s not something that makes me happy.
“I stepped onto the court with less and less intention, which is terrible, because usually, the more you progress, the more convinced you are that you’ll find a solution.
“I played him for the first time on tour in Estoril, where I lost, but it didn’t scare me at all because I knew him. I’d already faced him once in a Challenger.
More tennis news
Chris Evert reveals the power she held in women’s tennis and why she doesn’t crave it any more
Which players have received Wimbledon wildcards? Will Lois Boisson and Stan Wawrinka play?
“I trained with him, and we were 50-50, so I felt he didn’t intimidate me at all. Even in Monaco (in 2005), when he was already monstrous, I knew I could beat him—his game didn’t impress me at all.
“Then, I lost at the Masters Tournament, then in Toronto, and so on in the series. Sometimes in three sets. But as time went on, it got harder. He became stronger and improved more than I did.
“I couldn’t take it anymore, and I started developing a big complex. It was simply too strong and too difficult for me.”
Read next: How Carlos Alcaraz’s rise to grass-court royalty began at The Queen’s Club
