Carlos Alcaraz snubs Rafael Nadal, names this icon as 'work of art'

Carlos Alcaraz dubs Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as his idols.

Carlos Alcaraz, who has famously idolised Rafael Nadal as his favourite, praised the Spaniard’s arch-rival, Roger Federer, for his finesse and elegance in 2023.

During an interview with Vogue, the six-time Grand Slam champion asserted that he had grown up watching Rafael Nadal. However, he believes that Roger Federer has attracted people towards tennis. Alcaraz also heaped praise on the Swiss maestro for his playing style.

The 22-year-old said, “Rafa is someone I’ve always watched. I admire him a lot. But Federer – the class he had, the way he got people to see tennis: That was beautiful. Watching Federer is like looking at a work of art. It’s elegance, he did everything magnificently. I became enchanted by him.”

Carlos Alcaraz faced his idol, Rafael Nadal, three times in his professional career as the latter announced his retirement from the sport last year in November. However, the ATP World No. 1 never got an opportunity to face Roger Federer, who played his last men’s singles tournament at the SW19 in 2021.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old also lavished praise on the Big Three for their achievements. During the time of his interview with Vogue, Alcaraz only had the 2022 US Open in his kitty.

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Addressing that the Big Three won 66 men’s singles titles combined, he said, “What Rafa, Roger, and Djokovic have done is almost impossible. I think when you’ve won your first Grand Slam you realise how complicated that is. I’m going to keep wanting to make my dream come true, even though I already have.”

Alcaraz, who only had one Grand Slam title at the time, later won the Wimbledon Championships in 2023, singlehandedly stopping Novak Djokovic from completing a calendar slam. Since then, the Serbian tennis star has failed to win a single major title on the tour.

Last year, he won the French Open and retained his title at SW19. This year, he became a two-time French Open champion but failed to defend his title at the green surface Grand Slam. However, he claimed his sixth major title by winning the 2025 US Open.

Alcaraz has already recorded 65 victories on the tour this year, while other players are struggling to cross the 50-win mark. He’s currently chasing Novak Djokovic‘s record of 82 wins in a single season, which he created in 2015.

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