Tennis legend John McEnroe has made a remarkable claim about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, suggesting the young pair would defeat Rafael Nadal even at the peak of his powers.
Speaking to TNT Sports on the French Open Final in which Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in astonishing fashion, McEnroe stated: "You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best."
The American's assessment comes as Alcaraz continues to draw comparisons with the 14-time French Open champion, having even partnered with his compatriot in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
McEnroe's assessment has sparked debate about the 22-year-old's abilities as Wimbledon approaches on 30 June, a tournament he is looking to defend for the second year in a row.
John McEnroe believes both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may be better than Rafael Nadal was at the same age
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He expressed doubt, however, about the duo's chances of reaching the Grand Slam totals of his predecessors: "Do I think they're gonna reach 20, 24 [titles] either one of them? No, because that plateau is so hard."
The American acknowledged the exceptional standard of modern tennis whilst tempering expectations: "The tennis level right now is higher than I've ever seen."
Andre Agassi has offered his own detailed assessment of Alcaraz, suggesting the five-time Grand Slam winner possesses qualities that may even surpass those of tennis's greatest champions.
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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz played out a historic final in Paris
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"Alcaraz's best surface to me, shockingly, would be between here and Wimbledon," he said.
"I'd actually say grass might be his best surface, and the reason why I'd say grass is his best surface has nothing to do with his swings."
The American legend highlighted Alcaraz's exceptional physical attributes: "I mean, you gotta remember this guy has defence and speed like Novak if not more.
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"He has feel like Federer, you could argue if not more at times. He has RPMs in pace like Rafa. You could argue maybe even more."
Swedish tennis icon Mats Wilander has echoed McEnroe's and Agassi's assessments, stating that Alcaraz represents a more complete player than Nadal was at the same age.
"There is no way these records by Novak Djokovic will be broken... or is there a way?" Wilander questioned, regarding Djokovic's record 24 Grand Slam titles.
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Mats Wilander questioned whether Carlos Alcaraz can win as many Grand Slams as Novak Djokovic
TNT Sports
"Because he is so good, not only he can win this tournament many times, but he can win the other three as well."
The former world number one added: "So, he is most probably a better player than Rafa was at 22 on the other surfaces, he's not maybe as good on clay, or as dominant, but he's getting there."
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