By Richard Pagliaro Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Photo credit: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Getty
The King of Clay has praised the longevity of the Grand Slam King and advised fans to cherish Novak Djokovic’s Entering the race because his Grand Slam finish is in sight.
Rafael Nadal Interviews with Spanish media at the Spin & Swing charity golf tournament focused on former rival Djokovic’s run to the Australian Open final and took aim Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Recent comments indicate that the new second team has surpassed the Big Three in quality of play.
Mouratoglou posted on Instagram that the 38-year-old Djokovic’s energetic win over the 24-year-old Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals did not negate the fact that the world number two had defeated the Grand Slam king five times in a row before the Melbourne match.
“For those who think Djokovic beating Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals means the Big Three are playing better tennis than Alcaraz and Sinner,” Mouratoglou said on Instagram. “This is a very short-sighted view.
“First you take a game and then you make a rule. Just remember Sinner won the five previous games they played. Just one game isn’t going to make me change my mind about what I’ve seen over the past two or three years.
“Yannik moves faster than Novak, hits the ball harder, catches the ball earlier and serves better. But Novak is the most powerful mental force in the history of tennis, and that’s what makes the difference. That’s what his whole career has been about.”
Nadal, who was on hand to watch Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the AO final to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, posted a “laughing so hard I cried” emoji to Coach Patrick. Although Nadal (or possibly his social media manager) later deleted his reply, it was captured by some on social media.
The 22-time major champion said Mouratoglou’s analysis at the charity golf tournament was wrong.
“Alcaraz is part of the legends of tennis but I don’t see the controversy. I left a comment and then deleted it because I didn’t want to cause any controversy.” Nadal told Spanish media in comments published by AS.com. “I think Mouratoglou’s analysis is wrong and at the end of the day it’s like if you compare Messi today with Messi who plays for Barcelona, or like if you compare Cristiano Ronaldo today with Messi who plays for Madrid.
“That’s just my opinion and then everyone has their career. I have never said, nor will I ever say, that some are better than others, ultimately everyone’s career will mark who is better. They are great ambassadors for the sport today.
“I think we have to be happy to have someone like Djokovic who is still at the top of his game after so many years on tour. I think it’s a blessing for us to have Carlos. Having a player like Carlos represent us all over the world and most importantly, he has taken tennis to an incredible level and I think we can only enjoy and appreciate it. “
Patrick Mouratoglou:
“It’s a short-term view to think that Alcaraz and Sinner are not better than the Big Three just because Novak beat Sinner at the Australian Open.”
Rafa Nadal’s reaction: “🤭🫣🤣🤣🤣” pic.twitter.com/hiE47kSyxM
— Swish 🍒 Tennis (@Zwxsh) February 5, 2026
The 14-time French Open champion said the fact that Djokovic is still competing in a Grand Slam final against an opponent 16 years younger than him is special, but warned that the 38-year-old Serbian superstar is approaching the end of his Grand Slam career.
“I think Djokovic has gone away from having an impressive career and continues to play because at the moment he can. I don’t think we need to talk about whether that’s good for tennis or not,” Nadal said. “If one guy wins, if the other guy wins. He has a great opportunity in Melbourne and at this stage of his career, to be honest, he doesn’t have that many opportunities anymore.
“But I think what he’s accomplished is admirable“.
