Rafael Nadal is one of just three male players to have won 20 or more Grand Slam singles titles.
The Spanish legend won his first Grand Slam title in 2005 at the French Open, when Nadal beat Mariano Puerta in the final, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5.
Nadal won his 22nd and final Major title 17 years later, taking down Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets.
His 22nd Slam victory saw him briefly become the most successful player in the history of men’s tennis before being surpassed by his rival Novak Djokovic, who won his 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Majors shortly after.
The task of winning 20 or more Grand Slam titles is certainly a formidable one, as Nadal now reveals what the ATP Tour’s number-three ranked player must do if he is to match his success at the Major tournaments.
Rafael Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz needs ‘many years’ to match his Grand Slam count
Speaking on Carlos Alcaraz’s new Netflix documentary, Nadal gave his verdict on whether the youngster could one day win as many Grand Slams as him.
“To match those figures you need many years, no matter how good you are, you can’t do it in five years,” he said.
“You have to be able to live with that drive or goal and pursue it until you actually achieve it.”
Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, then explained just how many titles the 21-year-old will need to pick up each year if he is to match Nadal’s tally.
“How many Grand Slams do you need to win every year to really match Rafa’s figures?” said Ferrero.
“I’d say about two. If you miss one year, then three the following year.”
Nadal won 1.2 Major titles per season between 2005 and 2022 (His Grand Slam winning career).
Remarkably, Alcaraz has also averaged 1.2 Major titles per season between 2022 and 2025 (His Grand Slam winning career).
While Alcaraz may currently be on pace to match Nadal’s tally of 22 Grand Slam titles, one American tennis legend still thinks it’ll be a ‘tall order’ for him to do so.
“Carlos [Alcaraz] coming from Spain and even trying to get close to what Rafa [Nadal] has done, that’s a very, very tall order,” said John McEnroe.
Alcaraz and Nadal’s fellow Spaniard went one step further, suggesting that if the youngster were to win 20 Grand Slams, he ‘wouldn’t have a life’.
“I think that to match Rafa’s figures, you have to be a slave,” said Garbine Muguruza.
“It’s very difficult to reach that point without feeling like a slave to it. Wanting to be the best at something, whatever it is, is extremely hard to maintain.
“In the end, you won’t have a life.”
Carlos Alcaraz says he doesn’t want to be called ‘Rafael Nadal’s successor’
Over the years, many have tipped Alcaraz to follow in Nadal’s footsteps, as the world number three now admits he finds some of the comparisons tiresome.
“Rafa’s successor, you’ll take Rafa’s place, the heir to the throne to the Spanish crown,” he said.
“Unnecessary.
“I don’t want to be called Rafa’s successor, I want to be Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.”
Nadal agreed, explaining how such comparisons could potentially ‘overwhelm’ his fellow Spaniard.
“When you’re so young and being compared to someone who’s been on the circuit for so many years, sometimes you get worn out and overwhelmed by the pressure,” he said.
“Because, in the end, I think it can distort your daily life and confuse you.”
Alcaraz will, however, look to follow in Nadal’s footsteps and continue to chase down his record of five Madrid Open titles in 2025.
The Spaniard last won the title in 2023, taking down Germany’s Jan Lennard-Struff in the final, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
In doing so, Alcaraz became just the sixth player to win multiple Madrid Open titles since the event was added to the Masters 1000 calendar in 2002.
- [5] Rafael Nadal
- [3] Novak Djokovic
- [3] Roger Federer
- [2] Carlos Alcaraz
- [2] Alexander Zverev
- [2] Andy Murray
The 21-year-old will no doubt have ambitions of winning his third title this year, and will begin his tournament against either Zizou Bergs or Yoshihito Nishioka on Saturday, April 26.
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