Toni Nadal, the longtime coach and uncle of Rafael Nadal, has made a bold declaration on World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. Well, as per the former tennis professional, under normal conditions, the Spaniard is untouchable on grass this year.
Speaking in a recent interview, the coach expressed supreme confidence in the 22-year-old Spaniard’s ability to dominate the court. That’s not all, he further names just 2 players who could ‘worry him’ and that none other than 24-time Grand Slam title champion Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
“I sincerely believe that, under normal conditions, very few opponents have the ability to worry Carlos,” Toni Nadal said. “Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are the only players who could possibly worry him — in that order.”
His words come as Alcaraz continues to navigate the early rounds at Wimbledon with ease. Fresh off his French Open title, the young Spaniard is quickly becoming the man to beat on all surfaces — and grass appears to be no exception.
Toni Nadal, who helped shape Rafael Nadal’s legendary career, pointed to the nature of the surface and the draw Alcaraz faces as major advantages.
“It’s true that — on the grass — the surprise element comes into play more,” he admitted. “But considering the draw that he is facing and the fact that the surface is less ruined in the early days and the rallies are very fast, I don’t see anyone who can seriously challenge him.”
As expected, the comments have raised eyebrows across the tennis world, especially given the quality of contenders still in the draw. The World No.1 Jannik Sinner is very much in the mix and playing solid tennis, reaching the 3rd round already.
Alcaraz is the defending champion, defeating Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), and has since added more experience and maturity to his gameplay.
As tennis itself is unpredictable, nothing can be said right now. However, for now, with a favorable draw and his top rivals still working their way through early-round battles, Carlos Alcaraz seems poised for another deep run. And if Toni Nadal is to be believed, there may be no stopping him.
