Off Court News
McIlroy reveals Nadal’s Masters support, weighs in on Alcaraz vs. Sinner rivalry
From voice notes at Augusta to tennis’ future, McIlroy connects two sporting worlds
May 01, 2026
Andrew Redington / Angel Martinez / Getty Images
Rory McIlroy reflects on the support he received from Rafael Nadal during the Masters.
By Jerome Coombe
Rory McIlroy’s successful Masters title defence last month came with some unexpected encouragement, with the Northern Irishman revealing he had the backing of 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal.
The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Nadal was at Augusta National during the tournament, showing his support in person. Speaking last week at the Laureus Awards, McIlroy shared how much Nadal’s presence — and his thoughtful gestures — meant throughout the week.
“I saw Rafa a lot out on the course at Augusta,” McIlroy said. “He’d leave me little voice notes at the end of every day. It’s really cool when you have one of the absolute legends of sport cheering you on like that. Him knowing what it’s like to be in that position is pretty cool.”
“I think there’s so many similarities between golf and tennis. In individual sports, you’re really out there on your own and you have to figure it out by yourself.”
Away from golf, McIlroy has long been an avid tennis fan, regularly attending major events, including the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami in March. His rise in golf coincided with Nadal’s dominance on the ATP Tour, and when the Spaniard retired in 2024, McIlroy, like many fans, wondered who would take over at the top of the sport.
In recent years, he’s found that answer in the emerging rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, which has quickly become one of sport’s most compelling matchups, with Alcaraz currently leading their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 10-7.
“We were all wondering ‘Who is next?’, and then you have these two guys in Carlos and Jannik,” McIlroy said. “What makes this rivalry so special is the different styles. Carlos plays with his heart on his sleeve and Jannik is just an absolute robot — he doesn’t make a mistake.
“As a tennis fan, it makes me very excited for the next few years, to be able to watch them battle it out.”
McIlroy also had a chance to meet Alcaraz last year at the US Open, where the Spaniard acknowledged his presence in memorable fashion by mimicking a golf swing after his first-round win. Although Alcaraz is an enthusiastic golfer, the two have yet to share a round together.
“Not yet,” McIlroy said. “I got to meet him at the US Open last year, and he’s really loving his golf,” McIlroy said. “He plays on any day he has off, but hopefully one day we’ll get a round in.”
