"He’s lucky: his opponents are of a lower calibre” - Toni Nadal not overly impressed with history-making Alcaraz after more major glory

Carlos Alcaraz success has not gone unnoticed in the tennis world. Former and current pros, pundits and fans regularly laud the 22-year-old sensation for what he has and is achieving in the sport. The latest title he has added to his roster is the Australian Open title, marking a huge piece of history made. Despite all of this, Toni Nadal has not seen this in the same frame as others, stating that his fellow Spaniard is 'lucky' to not have 'high calibre' rivals.

The world number one went into the Australian Open on the back of parting ways with his long-term coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, marking a new chapter in his tennis career with a sparking relationship halted. He had just one exhibition match in his legs in 2026 before travelling down to Melbourne as he hunted for the final piece of the mantle to complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz made no secret of these lofty ambitions Down Under. He took down a whole host of players enroute to facing off against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals. The match turned on its head after cramp saw Alcaraz go from looking like he was going to sail through in straight sets for a chance for Zverev to get back into the match. After breaking back at a crucial time in the fifth set, he made sure that the German would not get another opportunity as he booked his spot in the final.

Novak Djokovic was awaiting him after surprisingly taking down the two-time reigning champion Jannik Sinner in another five-set thriller. The Serbian would play some blistering tennis in the early stages, claiming the first set before Alcaraz ran away with it. He played some outstanding tennis to fend off his rival for a seventh Grand Slam title, finally clinching the one he was desperate for.

Alcaraz was treading on new ground. It was his first title in Australia let alone the Grand Slam, he reached a new personal best of ranking points tallied (13,650) and becoming the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam at just 22, taking it off Rafael Nadal who was watching on in the stands.

His uncle, Toni, was a big reason for his success. It was a time where the big three ruled the lands, with challengers coming thick and fast but unable to firmly place themselves among the greats. Maybe this averted Nadal's view of Alcaraz's dominance to be more fortunate than anything else.

“He [Alcaraz] has exceptional physical attributes, excellent technical skill, and on top of that, he’s lucky: his opponents are of a lower calibre,” Nadal said in an interview Onda Cero radio. “Before, when you went out to play against [Juan] Del Potro, [Andy] Murray, or [Stan] Wawrinka, you knew you were going to suffer and that the match was going to be tough. If they had a great day, they could beat you.”

He does have a point when you look at the rankings. In second place, Sinner sits on 10,300 points after losing a huge number of them in Melbourne. He still stands a staggering 5,000 points ahead of Djokovic in third, showing what gap the now big two have created. When choosing between them, Nadal backed up his prior statements and stuck with Alcaraz.

“Personally, I much prefer Alcaraz. When they face each other, the match depends more on what the Murcian does,” he said. “Looking at the numbers, I think Sinner is a little more reliable; he’s a little more solid.”

But who could take on the seemingly impossible task of competing with them every week? For Nadal, Zverev was the man to do this. “He’s the only one who could take on Alcaraz and Sinner, as long as he changes some habits in his game and his character,” he advised.

The German played some terrific tennis in this year's Australian Open, very unlucky not to defeat Alcaraz. He is coming back into his best form, with a first Grand Slam title possibly on the horizon. He will have to wait until June to have another go, with Alcaraz and Sinner's major dominance safe until then.