Nadal's Uncle Toni Says Only Two Players 'Could Possibly Worry' Alcaraz At Wimbledon
NewsSunday, 06 July 2025 at 15:04
Toni Nadal has dismissed the chances of Carlos Alcaraz being defeated before the final at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
Two-time defending champion Alcaraz has been the title favorite since before the event began. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals, twice stopping the Serbian from equaling Roger Federer's haul of eight titles.
Many also feel Alcaraz received a favorable draw at this year's Wimbledon. Djokovic and the ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner are in the other half and could face each other in the semifinals at SW19.
In a piece for El Pais, Rafael Nadal's uncle and former long-term coach argued that only Djokovic and Sinner have a realistic chance of causing Alcaraz any concern at Wimbledon because he is far ahead of everyone else.
"I sincerely believe that, under normal conditions, very few opponents have the ability to worry Carlos. Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are the only players who could possibly worry him - in that order."
Although Toni accepts that surprises are usually more common on grass, he thinks the speed of the rallies on grass during the opening few rounds makes it more challenging for anyone in Alcaraz's half of the draw to keep up with him.
"It's true that - on the grass - the surprise element comes into play more, but considering the draw that he is facing and the fact that the surface is less ruined in the early days and the rallies are very fast, I don't see anyone who can seriously challenge him."
Alcaraz's superb record at Wimbledon in the last few years and how high his peak level is make Toni's view understandable. He has deservedly solidified himself as the overwhelming favorite to make the final from his half of the draw.
However, Alcaraz's opening round against Fabio Fognini acted as a cautionary tale against complacency. The five-time Grand Slam champion was unexpectedly pushed to five sets by the veteran Fabio Fognini.
Alcaraz's shocking second-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp at the 2024 US Open also proves he cannot afford to take opponents lightly. That result at Flushing Meadows stunned the tennis world.
Djokovic and Sinner's form in the opening three rounds demonstrated why Toni thinks they have the best chance of challenging Alcaraz. After losing to his compatriot in the third round, Miomir Kecmanovic said he felt like he was playing the 2011 or 2015 version of Djokovic.
Sinner's dominance so far has been remarkable. He broke Roger Federer's record for the fewest games dropped in the opening three rounds, but the Italian said he did not care about achieving that record.
The 2025 Roland Garros final proved how good Sinner is outside hard courts. The three-time Grand Slam winner held three championship points in the fourth set before Alcaraz staged a remarkable recovery.
Despite that amazing final, Toni still ranked Djokovic ahead of Sinner as someone who could make Alcaraz worry at Wimbledon. That is understandable, considering the tennis legend's achievements at Wimbledon.
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