Rafael Nadal’s Uncle Toni Nadal Admits Carlos Alcaraz was ‘Lucky’ to win the Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz became the ninth man in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam.
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Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal has claimed that Carlos Alcaraz was lucky to have won the Australian Open. The legendary coach noted that he had faced lower-caliber opponents en route to winning the Melbourne Slam, making him the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz came back from a set down to beat 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. Djokovic was seeking his 25th Slam at the tournament and his 11th Australian Open. He ended Djokovic’s hopes of achieving those dreams with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 at the Rod Laver Arena.
Alcaraz, the youngest player ever to win a career Grand Slam, has tried twice to win the Australian Open but has failed. He lost to Djokovic in the quarter-finals in 2025 and to Alexander Zverev in 2024. Also, in those two matches, he lost in four sets, despite being the favorite to claim the win.
Besides that, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry has naturally drawn comparison to the rivalry of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. However, the Big 3 competed alongside Stan Wawrinka, Juan Martin Del Potro, and Andy Murray, which made the men’s circuit the most competitive in decades.
The competition also brought out the best in them, as they always have to beat each other to win Grand Slams. During a conversation on Spanish radio, Onda Cero, Nadal pointed out that Alcaraz was lucky to have won the Australian Open because he played against a lower caliber of players compared to the era of the Big 3:
He [Alcaraz] has exceptional physical attributes, excellent technical skill, and on top of that, he’s lucky: his opponents are of a lower calibre. Before, when you went out to play against [Juan] Del Potro, [Andy] Murray, or [Stan] Wawrinka, you knew you were going to suffer and that the match was going to be tough. If they had a great day, they could beat you.
Alcaraz didn’t drop a set until the semi-finals of the Australian Open, defeating Adam Walton, Yannick Hanfmann, Corentin Moutet, Tommy Paul, and Alex de Minaur. Against Zverev, he had to battle hard in five sets to win the match. That’s almost the same as Sinner, who faced less difficult opponents until the semi-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz aims to enjoy and appreciate completing a Career Grand Slam
Carlos Alcaraz joins the likes of Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in the list of men’s players who have completed a career Grand Slam. The 22-year-old has become the ninth man to win all four of the sport’s annual majors on tour.
After Alcaraz’s triumph at the Australian Open, he said he wants to enjoy the victory, appreciate what he has achieved, and live in the moment. The seven-time major championship winner, who has traveled back to his native home in Spain, added that he wants to fully understand what he has achieved at the tournament:
What I’ve learned this year is to appreciate and enjoy every single second of the moment you’re living. Not only lifting the trophies, but playing tournaments, playing tennis, getting victories, getting losses. Whatever it is, just enjoy and appreciate the life you’re living. So right now I’m just trying to have some time to realise what I’ve been doing. I know I’m making history with some trophies, some tournaments, some achievements.
Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Rotterdam Open, which kicks off on February 9. He was expected to fly to the city this weekend, but he decided to pull out. He will now extend his time away from tour, with the intention of returning to the court during the Middle East swing in late February.
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