Carlos Alcaraz firmly denies being 'obsessed' with reaching Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer's level

Carlos Alcaraz clarified that he was not "obsessed" with equaling the tennis skills and records of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer, known as the 'Big Three.' While Federer and Nadal have retired from tennis, Djokovic is still active on the ATP Tour.

Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slams, while Nadal retired with 22 Majors, and Federer finished with 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

In an interview with GQ on April 7, 2025, Alcaraz said that he wanted to reach the success level of the Big Three and become the "best" player in history, but he wasn't "obsessed" with that.

"I'm not obsessed. I've always said I'd like to be the best in history and sit at the Big Three's table, but those are big words, not an obsession. And I always say I'd like to be remembered as an inspiration to the little ones, and as someone who had fun doing what he loved most, with a smile on his face and making people enjoy themselves," Alcaraz said [translated from Spanish].

This season, Carlos Alcaraz has won one title, the 2025 ABN AMRO Open, and reached the semifinals at the Indian Wells Masters and the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Qatar Open. The former World No. 1 is in Monaco, preparing to begin his campaign at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters.

---

Carlos Alcaraz: "It's a compliment to be compared to the three greatest players of all time"

Alcaraz pictured speaking at a press conference [Image Source: Getty Images]

In the aforementioned interview, Carlos Alcaraz also expressed that for him to be compared to tennis legends Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer was a "compliment." However, he made it clear that he preferred to make his "own way" and establish his unique identity in tennis.

"I don't really like comparisons. Obviously, it's a compliment to be compared to the three greatest players of all time, but I'm Carlos Alcaraz, and I'm just trying to make my own way," Alcaraz said.

Carlos Alcaraz has competed against Novak Djokovic eight times on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard emerging victorious in three matches. Their most recent clash took place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open, where Djokovic secured a victory with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

On the other hand, Alcaraz has faced compatriot Rafael Nadal three times on the Tour, and the 21-year-old managed to win just one match. Their most recent meeting occurred in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Madrid Open, with Alcaraz prevailing with a score of 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has never competed against Roger Federer on the ATP Tour.