Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players and sportsmen of all time, having dominated the sport for decades now.

However, as age has caught up with him and fitness issues have reared their ugly head, there was a fresh outcry for a new talent that was ready to step up and fill these shoes, especially after Roger Federer retired.

All the while, slowly growing in the wings was Carlos Alcaraz, who has since emerged as one of the sport’s most electric breakthrough stars in recent memory.

He has very nearly won it all at such a tender age, and is well on his way towards achieving the same greatness that Rafael Nadal and his two great rivals did.

The legendary veteran has since spoken about his compatriot and what he expects from him in the coming years.

Rafael Nadal predicts big things for Carlos Alcaraz

Although his claims regarding Alcaraz were only brief, they still hold an almighty amount of weight.

After all, the 21-year-old is largely seen as the successor to the great Spaniard, with their all-action brand of tennis drawing some parallels.

Their shared time on the court throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics only added further fuel to this fire, allowing the 37-year-old to see what the future held for tennis in his country up close.

And now, speaking in an interview for El Hormiguero, he has boldly claimed: ‘I am convinced Carlos Alcaraz will become one of the best in tennis history.’

Carlos Alcaraz is already on pace to challenge the Big Three

Naturally, arguments will arise claiming that he has been born into a far easier era, and few would dispute that claim.

However, in many years time, that will likely be a notion that holds little weight.

What people will remember is the sheer number of titles and Grand Slams won, and at this moment in time, Alcaraz is already on pace to match the legendary trio that came before him.

At his age, the superstar Spaniard already has four major titles to his name.

When he was 21, Federer had just won his first at Wimbledon in 2003.

Meanwhile, Nadal had won three Grand Slams at 21, all coming at Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic, a relatively late bloomer compared to his legendary adversaries, won just his second Grand Slam title at the age of 24, and yet has surpassed them all in terms of majors won now.

Alcaraz is on track to potentially overcome all of these records though, such is his impossibly high level for someone so young.

What’s most frightening is that he will likely only get better.

Here’s Alcaraz’s full Grand Slam record compared to Nadal, Djokovic and Federer as of just before the US Open.