Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed a perfect start to the 2026 season, having won the only tournament he has participated in thus far.
And, it just so happened that the Australian Open was his most sought-after title too, having completed the career Grand Slam by claiming it.
Naturally, becoming the youngest man to ever accomplish that feat has led to widespread praise.
However, some have started to argue that, despite being just 22 years old, Carlos Alcaraz should already be a part of the ‘greatest of all time’ debate.
Greg Rusedski says Carlos Alcaraz cannot be compared to Novak Djokovic
Speaking on the latest episode of his Off Court with Greg podcast, the former British number one admitted that he thought this line of argument was ‘ridiculous’.
Rusedski claimed: “This is ridiculous in my opinion.
Who finishes their career on more majors – Alcaraz or Djokovic?
“He’s won seven majors, he’s on track, but you’ve got to have a catalogue of work to get to 20 plus. Djokovic is on 24, Nadal is on 22 and Federer is on 20. Those are long distances. He would have to win every single Slam this year to get up to 10.
“Then it would take him at least another two and a half years if he won every single Slam, so I think it’s a little premature [to put Alcaraz in the GOAT debate].
“You have to define it by something. Numbers, longevity, the era you played in. So let’s look at Novak Djokovic’s story. And that’s why I call him the GOAT.
“He came along when Federer and Nadal were dominating with Andy Murray. And he went through that generation and said, Look, I’m going to stand up to you. I’m going to find a way. And then for a decade, he dominated the sport. The numbers don’t lie. And that’s why I say Djokovic is the GOAT.”
This mainly comes after Patrick Mouratoglou claimed that Alcaraz and Sinner were better than the Big Three, drawing a reaction largely consisting of ridicule.
Carlos Alcaraz is way ahead of Novak Djokovic at 22 years old
For a 22-year-old, there are few men who come close to achieving what Alcaraz already has.
Novak Djokovic, for example, was nowhere near the level that the Spaniard was at, having claimed the bulk of his major titles after turning 30.
In fact, whilst his first Grand Slam triumph came in 2008, he would have to wait another three years before winning another.
Therefore, at 22, he had just one major title. Alcaraz has seven.
Will Carlos Alcaraz win the Calendar Slam in 2026?
If not, which Grand Slam is he going to fail to win?
The Serbian superstar has, to his credit, played deep into his 30s. His young rival might not even need to, as he could have surpassed his 24 major titles before even reaching the age of 30, given his current trajectory.
If he were to win two a year going forward now, including one more in 2026, Alcaraz would be between 30 and 31 when he matched Djokovic’s major tally.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
