Translation: Nadal: "Alcaraz is more magical and unpredictable, but also makes more errors than Sinner"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 7 Sep 2025 | 13.06

Nadal: "Alcaraz is more magical and unpredictable, but also makes more mistakes than Sinner". Photo: Getty Images.

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Ten months have passed since the retirement of Rafael Nadal. For many, an eternity, for others, as if it were yesterday. But since hanging up the racket, his perspective and opinions on the world of tennis hold a unique value. And at a time when Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominate the circuit and Novak Djokovic is in the final moments of his career.

He spoke at length about all this in a deep interview with The Athletic, addressing various topics. From the new tennis rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner to the strengths and weaknesses in both their games. He also analyzed this year's Roland Garros final, one of the best in recent times, and reminisced about his moments on the court with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

On the energy the US Open crowd gave him

"For some reason, there are places where you feel good and comfortable. At first, I didn't feel so comfortable in New York. I worked hard to change that feeling, and I did. In the end, every time I arrived there, I felt great. I was a very emotional and intense player, a passionate player. That's why I felt very connected to that incredible energy generated by New York, and the night sessions, in particular, were unforgettable."

On how challenging it was to beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer

"I needed my body and physical performance to be at the highest level to compete against Novak on a hard court. I had to be more aggressive and hit a higher-quality ball with my forehand when going for the winning shot. That was my goal. Roger could win points very quickly with his serve, but Novak and I played more closely contested matches. Undoubtedly, he was better than me on hard courts, but until 2013 or 2014, I was able to compete against him properly."

His rivalry with both pushed him to become a better tennis player

"In a way, having players like Novak or Roger in front of you gives you a clear idea of what you need to do. We never had time to relax. We had to push ourselves to the maximum all the time to compete in that era. When I trained, I did it to improve for myself, but at the same time, you had those rivals in front of you."

Injuries weighed him down in his final years

"When you have many physical issues, you lose some confidence in your movements. You start to avoid things that you feel you can't do as before because you feel that if you do those things, you might get injured. I needed that extra energy in terms of movement, in terms of pushing my game and body to the limit to win again. And I was no longer able to produce it."

The Roland Garros final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

"I think Sinner stopped doing what he was doing well: going for shots and playing with that extra speed on the ball when he had to take advantage of it. He didn't play as aggressively as he had been doing before. But overall, if we look at it as a whole, the final was unforgettable. It was amazing. The end of the match was one of the most exciting I have seen, and I was fortunate to watch it as a fan from home."

"For me, the first three sets were not of great quality. It was a standard final. Then, the fourth and fifth sets were of great quality. That's from my point of view, talking about if I had to play against them. The fourth and fifth sets were of a very, very high level, thrilling, had a bit of everything. Before, for me, I think Carlos didn't play at his level. From my perspective, I think he tactically made a bit of a mistake. Jannik, of course, had bad luck at 0-40, but when he had the chance to go for it, I think he didn't play with the right determination."

On the tennis differences between the Spanish and Italian

"Sinner gives a rhythm to the forehand that is very difficult to follow. He is very quick in taking the ball early and transitions fast from defense to offense. Alcaraz is more magical, more unpredictable; he can play at a level that sometimes Jannik can't. But at the same time, he also makes more mistakes: he can play better, but he can also play worse, and it's about finding the balance. Carlos has all the shots, sometimes makes errors, but goes for it and is more incredible to watch because ultimately, he is more unexpected and unpredictable. I like it, it's very fun to watch Carlos play because he can do amazing things and, at the same time, make mistakes, and that's human."

Advice to his compatriot

"From my point of view, Carlos can improve a bit tactically in approaching some matches. Sometimes it seems like he always plays for every big shot, and sometimes, he doesn't need it as much," concludes a Rafa Nadal who will surely not miss the US Open final, while remembering his numerous battles against Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nadal: "Alcaraz es más mágico y más impredecible, pero también comete más errores que Sinner"