Rafael Nadal discusses the potential of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner repeating the historic ‘Big 3’ era

The 'Big 3' have collectively won 66 Grand Slam titles, a record that seems impossible for anyone to duplicate.

Rafael Nadal discusses the potential of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner repeating the historic ‘Big 3’ era

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer ( Image via Olympics) Jannik SInner (Image via instagram @janniksin), Carlos Alcaraz (image via Instagram @carlitosalcarzz)

Rafael Nadal recently attended a commemorative event for Kia Motors, a South Korean automobile company of which he has been a brand ambassador since 2006. In the event, the Spaniard spoke about a myriad of topics, ranging from his retirement to his love for football.

He touched upon the long-standing ‘Big 3’ rivalry he had with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The ‘Big 3’ have collectively won 66 Grand Slam titles, a record that seems impossible for anyone to surpass in terms of consistency over 20 years.

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However, Nadal expressed his faith in the fact that the achievements of the ‘Big 3’ can be duplicated. He believes that the new generation, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, could fight to surpass them.

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If we’ve done it, others can do it, and things are there to be improved. Obviously, there are two players who are above the rest…Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. There were three of us for almost too many years. Thanks to the demands we set for each other, we’ve made our careers something that was difficult to imagine years ago, and now new generations are coming who will fight to surpass us.

Rafael Nadal said

Carlos Alcaraz, at the age of 21, has already clinched 4 Grand Slam titles. Roger Federer won his maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 at the age of 21. Rafael Nadal had completed a three-peat at the Roland Garros by 21, and Novak Djokovic won his maiden Grand Slam title at the age of 20 at the 2008 Australian Open.

Jannik Sinner, at the age of 23, is a three-time Grand Slam champion and the present World No. 1. He enjoys a great fanbase, including the ‘Carota Boys’, who dress up as carrots to his matches. Alcaraz’s fans have also caught up with the buzz recently, dressing up as bees during his Indian Wells matches. Beyond their titles, Alcaraz is perhaps the most entertaining player on tour with his interesting selection of shots from drop shots to tweeners. Sinner is known best for his dominance on hard court.

Rafael Nadal speaks about Julian Alvarez’s penalty

As a big football fan, during the KIA event, Rafael Nadal also weighed in on the controversial penalty taken by the Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez during the Madrid derby in the Champions League, calling it “the height of bad luck”. Real Madrid have progressed to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Arsenal thanks to a 4-2 penalty shootout.

Julian Alvarez penalty kick UCL
Julian Alvarez (image via X @eurofootcom)

I think he hit the ball twice; that’s what the replays showed. But for me, what happened to Julián Álvarez was the height of bad luck. As a Madridista, I celebrated the win, but I honestly felt really bad. Especially for Julián, because apart from being a top player, he seems like a genuinely good person. I wish him all the best. That’s just how sport is—one wins, the other loses, and it can be cruel.

Rafael Nadal added

A key moment in the shootout saw Alvarez’s spot kick being disallowed after VAR determined that the Argentine had kicked the ball twice, once with each foot, as he slipped before scoring past Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. This decision sparked huge outrage, and UEFA later released frame-by-frame footage that appeared to show “minimal” contact with the ball by Alvarez’s standing leg.

Rafael Nadal’s life post-retirement

Rafael Nadal is the second member of the ‘Big 3’ to retire. He hung his racket after Spain’s loss to the Netherlands at the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga, Spain, last November. Since his retirement, he has been focusing on a variety of projects. He has been busy with his academy and his hotel brand- ZEL Hotels.

Rafael Ndal Kia
Rafael Nadal at Kia Motor’s event (image via Instagram @eduardo_divar)

I’m trying to organize my life around sports and education. I’m not someone who enjoys doing nothing. Now I’m figuring out what I truly like beyond competition, and that’s what’s driving me.

Rafael Nadal added

He has graced several events, such as the NextGen ATP Finals in Jeddah in December 2024, in the capacity of ambassador of Saudi Tennis. In January 2025, Nadal was bestowed an honorary doctorate from the University of Salamanca along with Nobel laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier.

After his retirement, Nadal attended his first award ceremony at the 77th annual gala of Mundo Deportivo in February 2025, where he was awarded the Excellent Trophy. He was also the first member of the ‘Big 3’ to be a guest on the popular tennis podcast, Served with Andy Roddick, where he recently gave a detailed interview analyzing his career.