Jim Courier weighs if Rafael Nadal has already secured immortality at Roland-Garros

Jim Courier believes Rafael Nadal’s French Open record could be matched

Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open titles have long stood as one of the most impressive feats in tennis, with many considering him the greatest clay-court player ever.

His dominance on the Paris clay is well known. But is there anyone out there who can even come close to catching him?

Carlos Alcaraz already has two Grand Slam titles and a few years’ head start on Nadal, so perhaps he is a contender to catch his record.

But does Jim Courier agree with that?

Jim Courier says it’s ‘unlikely’ anyone will match 14 French Open titles

Jim Courier was asked on the Tennis Channel’s coverage of the Italian Open whether he thinks Nadal’s French Open record will stand for some time.

“You’d like to think so!” he said. “I mean, it seems unlikely [that anyone will break the record]. It wasn’t likely that [Rafael] Nadal was going to be healthy enough to even play 14, period!

“Let alone win 14 with a couple of losses and injuries strewn in the middle of it. But I don’t think you can ever say never in these scenarios, you just don’t know what’s coming.

He played his final singles match at Roland-Garros last year, losing in straight sets to Alexander Zverev in the first round.

If Sinner does triumph this year, breaking Nadal’s record still looks highly unlikely. The soonest he could surpass it would be in 2041 when he’d be 39 years old.

Who could challenge Nadal’s French Open record?

Carlos Alcaraz, another Spaniard, is often mentioned as the most likely player to challenge Nadal’s total. He won his first two titles in back-to-back years, and by 22, he already had two French Open trophies.

However, he won’t be defending his title this year due to a wrist injury that has kept him out of action. Even so, he still appears to be better positioned than anyone else to mount a serious challenge in the years ahead.

Alcaraz will return in 2027 for another shot at a third title. Until then, he’ll have to watch from home as Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic compete for this year’s crown.

The 2026 French Open gets underway on Sunday, May 24th.

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