Rafael Nadal recently shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, highlighting the differences in their playing styles and what makes them exceptional players.
Alcaraz and Sinner have faced each other 16 times on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard winning 10 of those matches. Their most recent encounter was in the final of the 2025 ATP Finals, where the Italian secured victory, defending his title at the tournament.
Rafael Nadal Opens Up About the Different Playing Styles Adopted by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Over the past two years, Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated all four Grand Slam tournaments, winning every title they have entered.
In 2024, Sinner claimed the Australian Open and the US Open titles, while the Spaniard won the French Open and Wimbledon. In 2025, the former World No. 1 captured the titles at the Melbourne Major and the London Major, while Alcaraz secured victories at Roland Garros and the New York Major.
In 2025, Alcaraz won eight titles, including the French Open, US Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Italian Open, Cincinnati Open, ABN AMRO Open, Queen’s Club Championships, and Japan Open. Meanwhile, Sinner won six titles, which included the Australian Open, Wimbledon Championships, China Open, Vienna Open, Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals.
In a recent interview with AS, Nadal was asked with whom he identifies more, Alcaraz or Sinner. He responded that he does not “identify” with either of them, as both players differ significantly from his own style.
Nadal described Alcaraz as “unpredictable” and noted that he tends to make mistakes while also playing more “spectacular points,” making him entertaining to watch.
“I don’t identify with either of them. They’re different players than I used to be. I think Carlos is more unpredictable: he makes more mistakes, plays more spectacular points, and sometimes doesn’t have such a defined playing style, which makes him unpredictable and fun for the spectator,” Nadal said (translated from Spanish).
On the other hand, Nadal described Sinner as a “methodical” and “focused player” who loses very few matches. He mentioned that even though Alcaraz may appear more “scattered” than Sinner, his results demonstrate an “incredible consistency” throughout 2025.
“Jannik is a more methodical, focused player, with a more defined playing style, and he adds things little by little, which is why he’s so solid and loses so few matches. Sometimes it seems like Carlos is more scattered, but when you look at the results…
“He’s had an incredibly consistent and solid year in all the major tournaments. That’s why it makes me laugh when I hear that he’s scattered: the results say otherwise, that’s my point of view,” he added.
Nadal turned professional in 2001 and retired from tennis in November 2024. During his career, he won 22 singles Grand Slam titles, was ranked World No. 1 in singles, and claimed two Olympic gold medals for Spain, among numerous other accomplishments.