"In 10 years, we'll see how he's going" - Nicolas Lapentti on Carlos Alcaraz's chances of emulating Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz still has a long way to go before he can be considered a real challenger to the Grand Slam record of the Big 3 of men's tennis in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic believes former ATP World No. 6 Nicolas Lapentti.

The former Ecuadorian player feels that the current World No. 1 will need to be at the top both physically and mentally for at least the next 15 years to get close to the three tennis legends.

Alcaraz, who was touted to be the next big superstar in men's tennis, repaid that faith this season, during which he won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open and became the youngest-ever ATP year-end No. 1 at the age of 19. While the young Spaniard has all the skills required to get close to the records set by the all-time greats, he will need to be very healthy both physically and mentally for the better part of the next two decades, feels Lapentti.

Speaking on a recent episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, Lapentti shared his thoughts on the teenager's rise to the top, suggesting that the question of whether he can match the Big 3 will not have a definitive answer for at least 10 more years.

"The big question is will he (Carlos Alcaraz) be able to win as many Grand Slams as these three guys (Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic)? It's going to be all about his health," Nicolas Lapentti said.

"Is he going to be able to stay healthy the next 15-18 years? We never know. Will he be able to stay strong mentally for the next 15 years? It's crazy, but we'll see. We'll have to talk again in 10 years and see how he's going," he added.

The Ecuadorian also lauded Alcaraz for being able to show great mental strength and resolve under the biggest pressure situations at such a young age.

"Alcaraz has got everything, definitely. To be 19 and to play at the level he's playing. It's mostly in the head to play under that pressure and to perform that well, that's awesome," the 46-year-old expressed.

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Carlos Alcaraz in the fray to win another award for his stellar 2022 season

Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals - Day Four.

Carlos Alcaraz is among the nominees for the 2022 ATP Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award and could clinch another big honor in his career-defining 2022 season. Alcaraz is known to always carry himself with utmost humility and grace both on and off the court.

While Novak Djokovic misses out, Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz, Lorenzo Musetti, Matteo Berrettini, Maxime Cressy, Cameron Norrie, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Frances Tiafoe are the other nominees for the sportsmanship award.

19-year-old Alcaraz missed out on participating in his maiden ATP Finals campaign due to an abdominal injury but was still able to hold on to his World No. 1 ranking as Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas failed to overtake him at the season-ending championships.