Carlos Alcaraz wants to match Rafael Nadal's achievements, believes Bjorn Borg

Bjorn Borg recently praised Carlos Alcaraz while comparing the young Spaniard with his predecessor, Rafael Nadal. The 11-time Major winner also expressed hopes of the World No. 3 winning at least one of the three remaining Grand Slam tournaments in 2025.

Borg is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with six French Open titles, seven Wimbledon triumphs, and 109 weeks as the World No. 1 to his name. The Swede ended his top-flight career in 1983 at just 26 due to burnout and has since worked as a commentator.

Earlier this week, Bjorn Borg spoke to Spanish tabloid Teledepore about Carlos Alcaraz's lofty ambitions to etch his name in the annals of tennis, claiming that the youngster was eager to "achieve what Rafael Nadal" did in the sport. The 69-year-old also insisted that the four-time Major winner will most likely extend his tally, thanks to his mentality and all-court prowess.

"I think he wants to achieve what Rafa did. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s still very young, and I hope he's going to win more Grand Slams and I think he will win more Grand Slams," Bjorn Borg told Teledepore. "He has the right mentality. He can play on any kind of surface and he's been No. 1, he's top but I hope at least this year he win at least one Grand Slam."

At last week's Monte-Carlo Masters, Alcaraz won his first outdoor title since the China Open last October, effectively ending his slump in form. The Spaniard is next defending 2,000 and 200 points at the French Open and the Madrid Masters, respectively. For what it's worth, though, he will benefit from new points at the Barcelona Open and the Italian Open - two tournaments he missed last year.

---

Carlos Alcaraz looking to complete three-peat at Barcelona Open

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning the 2023 Barcelona Open | Image Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz missed the 500-level event in Barcelona last year due to his forearm injury. The 21-year-old has an unassailable win/loss record of 11-1 at the tournament, winning back-to-back titles in 2022-23.

Seeded first on account of his ATP ranking of third, Alcaraz began his 2025 Barcelona Open relatively smoothly as he broke his first-round opponent Ethan Quinn's serve twice to take the first set. However, the second set was much tighter and required just over an hour to settle as the former World No. 1 saved one set point to come through 6-2, 7-6(6).

The Spaniard will next face Serbian qualifier Laslo Djere for a place in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open. The four-time Major winner defeated the World No. 80 in their lone career encounter at the 2023 Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.