Sinner, Alcaraz react to Rafa's retirement: 'He gave all of us a lot of emotions'

Rafael Nadal has been a role model, an idol and, at times, a rival for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Never mind all of the accolades Nadal has accomplished in his storied 23-year professional career, Sinner believes the Spaniard’s legacy will stretch beyond lifting — or biting — trophies.

“Of course, we all saw how good he has been as a player and the lessons he taught us, the young players, how to behave on the court, how to handle situations on the court, tough situations,” Sinner, No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, said following his quarter-final victory at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

“He gave all of us a lot of emotions when we saw him playing. And also to stay humble, in the same time, not changing with the success, choosing the right people around him, having a great family. There are so many great things he gave to all of us.”

For Nadal’s countryman Alcaraz, 17 years his junior, the 92-time tour-level titlist has long been a source of inspiration.

“He has been my idol since I started playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become professional,” Alcaraz said. “Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he's going to play.”

Alcaraz’s childhood idol has turned into a friend. He has enjoyed sharing the court with Nadal, most recently at the Paris Olympics, where they partnered in doubles and reached the quarter-finals. They will both be in Spanish red when the 38-year-old competes in his final professional event at the Davis Cup Finals, to be held in Malaga from 19-24 November.

“From the child who watched you on television and dreamed of becoming a tennis player to the one who had the immense gift of playing alongside you at Roland Garros, representing Spain in the Olympic Games! Thank you very much for being an example at all levels, your legacy is unrepeatable,” Alcaraz wrote in Spanish on X. “I have enjoyed you very much and I will miss you very much when you leave after the Davis Cup, Rafa!”

Del niño que te veía por televisión y soñaba con llegar a ser tenista al que tuvo el inmenso regalo de jugar a tu lado en Roland Garros representando a España en unos Juegos Olímpicos! ? Muchas gracias por ser ejemplo a todos los niveles, tu legado es irrepetible! ❤️ Te he… pic.twitter.com/MiX8l5Jnrh

Nadal, who has spent 209 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, thrice played Alcaraz in tour-level matches, the same amount of times he faced Sinner. The lefty leads Alcaraz 2-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and is 3-0 against the Italian.

“I was very lucky to get to know him and he's an unbelievable person,” Sinner said. “It's a tough notification [to learn of his retirement], but in another way, everything has a beginning, it has a start, and also an ending.”

Now with Sinner and Alcaraz building a thrilling rivalry and fighting for the sport’s biggest trophies, like this year, when they split the season’s four majors, fans are eager to draw comparisons between the two young superstars and legends such as the ‘Big Three’, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

“They have been very consistent throughout the years. There's not only been one season or two seasons, they made it for 15 years,” Sinner said.

“It's amazing what they have achieved, what they have done. There are a lot of things that we can take from them. We cannot compare ourselves with them, that's impossible, especially in this moment now. I think we all were very lucky to see the Big Three playing tennis. And I consider myself very lucky to get to know them also as a person and to learn from them.”

Thank you @RafaelNadal for everything you have given to the sport. To have the chance to spend a few weeks training with you a few years ago is something I’ll never forget. To watch you work as an athlete but also get to know you as a person off the court was even more special.… pic.twitter.com/Obyrk5V5mh

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