Optimistic that the two will surpass the Big Three, and it will be more attractive for me to play with Federer than with Djokovic

Recently, Nadal singled out two players he believes have the potential to surpass his legendary status as Federer and Novak Djokovic, two young stars who are some of today's next generation of tennis superstars.

Fans call these three tennis legends the "Big Three" and they completely rewrote tennis history with decades of dominance. Together, the trio have won 66 Grand Slam titles, four Olympic gold medals, accumulated more than 1,000 weeks in the world No. 1 rankings, and many other unparalleled achievements.

However, 2024 marks an important turning point in men's tennis, as it is the first time since 2003 that no member of the Big Three has won a Grand Slam title. In a recent interview, the now-retired Rafael Nadal said that the new generation of players has the potential to match or even surpass the achievements of the Big Three.

Interestingly, he named Alcaraz and Sinner, who have won all the Grand Slam titles in 2024 and are considered to be the most contenders.

"If we can do it, so can others, and records are meant to be broken. Obviously, there are now two players who stand out from their peers: Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Sinner, and the three of us have been at the top of our game over the years. It's because of our competition and high standards that we've had such a great career, and now, the next generation of players is trying to surpass us. Nadal said in an interview with Eurosport.

When Alcaraz and Sinner were just starting to make their mark, the 22-time Grand Slam champion played against them on several occasions. Nadal has played Alcaraz and Sinner three times in his career, with a 2-1 record against Alcaraz and a three-match win record against Sinner.

Nadal's first meeting with Alcaraz took place at the Madrid Masters 2021, when Nadal won comfortably 6-1 6-2. The two then met in the semi-finals of the 2022 Indian Wells Masters, with Nadal winning 6-4 4-6 6-3 after a tight battle. However, Alcaraz managed to get his revenge at the Madrid Masters 2022, beating his idol 6-2 1-6 6-3.

In addition, the 22-time Grand Slam champion also faced Alcaraz in two exhibition matches, and the winner of both matches was Alcaraz, the four-time Grand Slam champion.

On the other hand, Nadal's first meeting with Sinner was in the quarterfinals of the French Open 2020, which Nadal won 7-6(4) 6-4 6-1. They then met twice more at the 2021 Italian and French Opens, with Nadal winning 7-5 6-4 and 7-5 6-3 6-0 respectively.

At the same time, Nadal was also a guest on Andy Roddick's podcast "Served", and the two had a light-hearted conversation. In the interview, Nadal talks about why fans generally believe that his rivalry with Federer is more appealing than his rivalry with Djokovic, even though he has played Djokovic more often.

"I think it's because we approach the game in a completely different way. I think the reason why my match with Roger [Federer] appealed more to the fans was the difference in style. Even though I've played Novak [Djokovic] a lot more, in my opinion, my matchup with Roger is more enjoyable for the audience. Nadal said.

Nadal also elaborated on the tactical changes he made to deal with Federer. He pointed out that the matchup with the Swiss king gave both sides a clearer judgment on the direction of the game.

"When I played Roger, my strategy was very clear...... I've been aiming for his backhand, and even when I get a chance to hit a straight line, I remind myself, 'Well, there's only two reasons why I hit a straight line. One is to go straight to the winning point, and the other is to push him away from this side to create more gaps. ’”

Nadal and Federer have played each other 40 times in their careers, dominating the overall head-to-head record, especially on clay. Their rivalry not only shaped the development of modern tennis, but is also recognized as one of the greatest duels in the history of tennis.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)