Rafael Nadal on which current tennis rivalry can ‘surpass’ the legendary ‘Big Three’ - ‘Above the rest’

Tennis legends Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer shared perhaps the greatest rivalry in the history of sport. Nadal and Federer have now called time on their storied careers, but the Spaniard believes that the new generation can provide a similar legacy in the years to come. Nadal also said Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are "above the rest" on the ATP scene.

Rafael Nadal has compared his legendary rivalry with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to the blossoming one shared between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

The "Big Three" contested a fierce three-way rivalry for the entirety of their respective careers, with the trio accumulating a combined 66 Grand Slam titles.

Alcaraz and Sinner have been the dominant forces of the new generation in recent years, and aged 21 and 23 respectively, have already amassed seven major titles between them.

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Nadal believes the pair are "above the rest" in the ATP field at present, and can emulate the epic career-long battles he contested with former rivals Federer and Djokovic.

"If we’ve done it, others can do it, and things are there to be improved,"

"Obviously, there are two players who are above the rest: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and there were three of us for almost too many years.

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"Thanks to the demands we set for each other, we’ve made our careers something that was difficult to imagine years ago, and now new generations are coming who will fight to surpass us."

Nadal called time on his career - which saw him pick up 22 Grand Slam crowns - following Spain's Davis Cup in November last year.

The 14-time French Open champion revealed how he has been keeping busy since hanging up his racquet.

"I’m living a more or less organised and focused life," Nadal said.

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"I’m not someone who likes to do nothing, and that’s why in the years leading up to my retirement, I had my family and team who prepared my future and what to do.

"I have the academy, which is a vital project in that sense; we’re expanding, and it takes time.

"I’m discovering what I like, too. Sports and education are something that interests me and I like, and I’m directing my future toward that."

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