Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni gives verdict on Carlos Alcaraz having 'weaker' opponents than his nephew despite Jannik Sinner threat

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni recently spoke about Carlos Alcaraz’s success on the ATP Tour. The tennis coach opined that while Alcaraz faces a strong threat in Sinner, the Spaniard has to deal with weaker competition than the Big Three did during their time of dominance.

Alcaraz and Sinner are undoubtedly the two biggest names on the ATP Tour at the moment. Between the two of them, the duo have won all eight of the last Grand Slams and for the moment they look untouchable. In their rivalry, Alcaraz seems to have a small edge over Sinner, having won two more Majors than the Italian and leading him in their head-to-head record.

Recently, Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni reflected on the one ‘advantage’ Carlos Alcaraz has over the Big Three, telling Punto de Break,

“He has an advantage that players from a few years ago didn’t have: their rivals are a little weaker, less committed than those of a few years ago. He has a great rival that is Jannik Sinner, it is true, one who is always present, but the others have fallen by the way,"

Nadal's uncle went on to list the strong rivals the Big Three faced, adding,

"I remember perfectly that in Rafael's time, in addition to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, there were other great players such as Andy Murray, Juan Martín del Potro, David Ferrer or Stan Wawrinka, to name a few. These players were always there. On the current tour, it seems that our direct rivals have abandoned us.”

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic collectively dominated the tennis world for two decades between 2003 and 2023. During this time, the trio won 66 Grand Slam titles and claimed the top three positions of the year-end rankings eight times.

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni says Carlos Alcaraz has ‘everything he needs to succeed’

Alcaraz at the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Final (Image Source: Getty)

After Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz looks to become the next big name household name for tennis in Spain. The 22-year-old has repeatedly proven himself on the big stages and next year he could dethrone Nadal as the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Speaking about Alcaraz's success, Nadal's uncle Toni highlighted that the youngster has ‘everything he needs to succeed' telling Punto de Break,

“Everyone is seeing how much he’s achieving, his athletic attributes are incredible, he truly has everything he needs to succeed.”

Overall, Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed an incredible 2025 season. The Spaniard’s year saw him win eight titles, including two Grand Slams and end the year as the ATP World No.1.