Toni Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz faces lower-calibre rivals than past greats
2 min readFeb 2, 2026 01:37 PM IST Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, has claimed that Carlos Alcaraz has been “lucky” to rise in an era of comparatively weaker opposition, saying the current generation does not pose the same challenge as players like Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka once did. Nadal said that while Alcaraz possessed outstanding physical and technical qualities, the overall standard of opposition he faces today is lower than in previous eras. “He [Alcaraz] has exceptional physical attributes, excellent technical skill, and on top of that, he’s lucky: his opponents are of a lower calibre. And I’m not saying this because I’m Rafael Nadal’s uncle – not at all. I try to be fair, but it’s clear.” “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,” Nadal told Onda …
