Rafael Nadal's coach in Carlos Alcaraz disagreement and denies documentary claim

Rafael Nadal's long-time coach Carlos Moya has denied the idea that will have to be a "slave to tennis" in order to achieve greatness in the sport. But he warned the young Spaniard that his current off-the-court lifestyle won't allow him to in the long run.

Alcaraz has become one of the new shining stars in tennis, winning the , and two titles so far. While he has been performing at a high standard since his professional debut in 2018, the 22-year-old has also been enjoying the finer things that come with becoming a sports celebrity. However, in his , '', those who surround the Spaniard have alluded that the tennis player will have to dedicate most of, if not all of his life, to the sport in order to become one of the greatest to ever grace the courts. Fellow countryman Nadal was mentioned throughout the tell-all series, as the 22-time Grand Slam winner was hailed as the shining example for Alcaraz to follow.

Alcaraz has insisted he wants to "enjoy life" first and foremost and won't be sacrificing his partying antics. And while Moya insists Nadal, who he worked with from 2016 until his retirement last year, wasn't a slave to tennis like the documentary suggests, he disagrees with Alcaraz's suggestion that he can still become an all-time great while his focus is elsewhere.

He said: "Wanting to be the best in history in that way... he might achieve it, but I find it difficult; I already find it difficult having a normal life. It's very complicated. It's clear that he could achieve it, but in the way he says?

"Of the three who have achieved it (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic), none have been like that. But maybe he's a guru, a pioneer, and he achieves it.

"It's impossible to win what he has won without discipline and without work. He is 21 years old; he has the right to live. What he's saying doesn't harm anyone. But is it sustainable in the long term? It's difficult, but he has a team who advise and guide him."

Moya did note that Nadal wasn't someone "who attended many events or Formula One or races" like Alcaraz, but he certainly did have a life outside of tennis.

He then asserted that Alcaraz will have to dedicate a lot of his life to tennis to get close to the Big Three of Nadal, and , as he claimed the Spaniard's current plans are only "viable in the short term."

As Alcaraz gears up for the 2025 edition of the French Open, Moya backed him as one of the favourites to take the trophy once again at Roland Garros. Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud were also mentioned, but the former tennis coach also stressed that Serbian icon Djokovic cannot be forgotten in this discussion.

He said: "He is one of the best in history, and you should never rule him out." Moya also urged Alcaraz's inner circle to cut the tennis star some slack, given his age and what he has already achieved in the sport.

"It's not possible to achieve what he has without discipline and hard work," he added. "He's living in the moment; he's already won four Slams, which we sometimes forget. He deserves it."