“Carlos has more natural talent”: Boris Becker analyzes the comparisons between Alcaraz and Nadal

Six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker addressed the comparisons between Carlos Alcaraz and the Big Three, focusing on the comparisons being made with fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The German did not want to choose a GOAT but discussed Alcaraz's chances of taking a place among them.

Alcaraz's breakthrough at the highest level at such a young age is something few can experience. The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open at just 19 years and 4 months, becoming the 7th youngest player to win a major.The youngest Grand Slam champions include Michael Chang (17 years, 3 months), Boris Becker (17 years, 7 months), and Mats Wilander (17 years, 9 months).

At the same time, he reached world No. 1, becoming the youngest to reach the top of the ranking in the Open Era, surpassing Lleyton Hewitt, who did so at 20 years and 8 months.

Becker himself began his tennis legend by winning Wimbledon 1985, becoming the first German to win a Grand Slam. From there, he won 49 singles titles, including 6 majors: Australian Open (1991, 1996); Wimbledon (1985, 86’, 89’) and US Open (1989).

The 57-year-old former tennis player responded an interview to El Mundo and recognizes that one of the great difficulties of breaking through so young is the pressure placed on the player, especially when comparisons begin. For the same reason, he avoided talking about Alcaraz as Nadal's 'successor'. "That is a very difficult pressure to bear because there is only one Rafa and there will only ever be one. That said, Carlos is making his own mark in his own way."

"He is still very young and the best is yet to come, but it is impossible to guess how long a tennis player will remain at the elite level. I hope Carlos plays for another 10 or 15 years because for me he is the most exciting tennis player in the world right now, but the Spanish, especially the journalists, have to be careful and not judge him so harshly every time he loses a match because he is a very different player from what Nadal was."

In any case, Becker leaned towards Alcaraz in terms of his natural ability, although he highlighted something that no one will be able to match about Rafael Nadal. "Carlos has more natural talent, but Nadal's heart has not been and will not be matched by any other athlete in history. Carlos is fantastic, Novak [Djokovic] and Roger [Federer] are legends, but Rafa was on a different level of competitiveness. If in a tournament you saw that you were going to cross paths with Nadal... Good luck, friend."