Carlos Alcaraz considers Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open titles ‘impossible’ to win

Carlos Alcaraz is the winner of one French Open title he lifted last year by beating Alexander Zverev in five sets.

Carlos Alcaraz considers Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open titles ‘impossible’ to win

Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Carlos Alcaraz gave his thoughts on the possibility of emulating what Rafael Nadal has done at the French Open. Alcaraz is currently in Barcelona, taking part in his first ATP 500 event of the season.

He arrived in the Spanish city after clinching his ninth clay-court title. On Sunday (January 13), Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Lorenzo Musetti to win his first Monte Carlo Masters title.

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In The Principality, no one has achieved more than Nadal. The winner of 11 trophies in Monte Carlo, Nadal also took home eight consecutive titles from 2005 to 2012. He was on the verge of a ninth consecutive title but his winning streak was broken by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the final in 2013.

At Roland Garros, Alcaraz lifted his first title last year with a five-set victory over Alexander Zverev. At first, he didn’t want to give up the possibility of winning 14 French Open trophies but now, it seemed impossible for him.

Yes. What Rafa has done on clay is the greatest in sports. Not just in tennis. Winning 14 Roland Garros, 11 times in Monte Carlo, eight in a row, that’s incredible. Only people who aren’t from this world are capable of doing it.

Carlos Alcaraz told Marca

Nadal bade farewell to tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup. Before the tournament, Nadal also participated at the Paris Olympics where he paired up with Alcaraz. The Spanish pair was defeated in the quarterfinals.

Carlos Alcaraz elaborates on what he has experienced in the previous month

Last month, Carlos Alcaraz played in two ATP 1000 tournaments, losing both. They were the Sunshine Double events where, at Indian Wells, the 21-year-old fell in three sets in the semifinal against eventual winner Jack Draper.

Carlos Alcaraz Barcelona Open 2025
Carlos Alcaraz (via Instagram/ Carlos Alcaraz)

Then in the Miami Open, Alcaraz suffered a shock opening round exit. Alcaraz, after winning the Monte Carlo Masters, admitted that he was not in the right state of mind because of not winning trophies. During that interview with Marca, he talked at length about the difficult times and what he has learned from them.

It’s a combination of everything. In Indian Wells, I thought I was playing well, and off the court, I was pretty calm. The loss to Draper hurt a lot. Then I got to Miami, and that loss to [David] Goffin was the final straw. We had to stop, sit down, and see what was happening. That moment has helped me a lot. It’s from bad times that we learn the most. I’ve learned, above all, to focus on what’s important.

Carlos Alcaraz said

At present, he is focusing on the Barcelona Open where he is scheduled to lock horns with Laslo Djere on Thursday (April 17). Against the Serbian, Alcaraz holds a 1-0 head-to-head record. The first seed started his campaign with a straight-set victory against Ethan Quinn.

At the Barcelona Open, the four-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to win his third title, following the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Last year, he skipped the event due to an injury. Alcaraz had also skipped the Monte Carlo Masters last year because of the same injury. The Madrid Open was his first clay-court tournament.

Last year on the clay swing, the Murcia native took home only the French Open. He came close to winning the Paris Olympics but fell in straight sets in the final against Novak Djokovic. So far this season, Alcaraz has won two titles: the Rotterdam Open (his first in an indoor hard-court tournament) and the Monte Carlo Masters.