Nadal - Alcaraz: Which tennis player won more titles before turning 21?
Both Spanish players stand out not only for their quality but also for how young they paved their way towards the top.
17 years is the distance that separates Rafa Nadal from Carlos Alcaraz. The Manacor native is 37, while the player from Murcia is 20, although he will be 21 in about two months. However, both started their careers at a very young age. Nadal started his career as a professional at 15, in 2001, two years before Alcaraz was born, while Alcaraz also started at 15.
There are similarities between both players’ careers, due to their youth and great potential. Both have broken age competitions, with Alcaraz still doing it. The two-time major champion is the youngest player and the first one under 20 to become the world No. 1 in the ATP rankings’ history. Nadal did it at 22, back in 2008.
Nadal-Alcaraz: two competitive ‘beasts’
At 21, the age that the world No. 2 is about to be, Nadal had also won quite a few titles (23). Nine of them were ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, besides his first three French Open trophies out of the 14 he has won so far. The Manacor player had already accumulated 250 won matches and was the world No. 2, only behind Roger Federer.
At 20 years old and nine months, Alcaraz has lifted 12 titles, including four Masters 1000 in Miami 2022, Madrid 2022, Indian Wells 2023, and Madrid 2023. He hasn’t won the title at the French Open, but he has gone all the way at the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2023.
Regarding the number of games won, Alcaraz is also behind Nadal, as he has been victorious in 164 clashes. However, they are tied in the ranking: Alcaraz is the world’s second-best player behind Novak Djokovic.