Why Rafael Nadal disagreed with Roger Federer’s career advice to Carlos Alcaraz

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has disagreed with career advice his close friend Roger Federer recently gave to Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz, which also highlights how differently the sporting greats look at things. Alcaraz, who is only 22, has already won six Grand Slam titles and looks destined to have a great career, which can even surpass that of Nadal or Federer.

Nadal, 39, retired in late 2024 after winning 22 Major titles, while his biggest adversary from the playing days, Federer, won 20. Alcaraz’s latest Grand Slam win came at the US Open, during which he also revealed a career advice the Swiss great has given him.

While revealing Federer’s words, Alcaraz said: “He told me, ‘You have to be focused on the next five years’, from here to when I am 27. And then, when I get 27, then think about five years more. It’s not about thinking in 15 or 20 years. It’s just about going year by year or just thinking about just five years maximum.”

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Nadal disagrees with Federer’s advice to Alcaraz

Nadal, however, disagreed with planning for five years as he felt things can change drastically in tennis and it’s important that his compatriot Alcaraz continues to live in the moment and keeps looking for improvements.

“Five years is a lot, and even more so in tennis, where at any moment things can change drastically,” Nadal said during a charity golf event in Majorca. “I think in the end what he has to do is enjoy the moment, which is brilliant, and keep working to keep meeting objectives, to keep improving, and train every day with the enthusiasm to be better at something.

“Even if you are the best in the world, there is always room for improvement in certain areas; that is the daily motivation. I would enjoy the day-to-day, and then we will see how everything evolves. Obviously, in life, goals are very important and you must have them in the short, medium and long term, but I never worked on a five-year basis.”

Despite disagreeing with Federer’s advice, Nadal felt that Alcaraz is set to have a “unique” career regardless of who he follows as he continues to keep the Spanish flag flying high in the tennis world.

“Alcaraz’s career seems to be on course to become something unique. Yes, he is having an impressive career. He is a very special player; we have known that for years, but it has been confirmed over time, and he keeps improving what is already an impressive career.

“The truth is that having someone like him in Spain helps us remain a leading country in world tennis, which we have been for many years - and I am not just speaking about myself; it goes back a long way. Carlos provides continuity to this whole era of success, not only in tennis but in sport in general.

“Hopefully, he can have a very long career, which is also what you need to reach certain numbers, and hopefully, he stays injury-free and everything goes brilliantly. And well, let’s leave him to it. He has six [Grand Slam titles], which is an incredible number at his age, and I hope he wins as many as he can.”