Jannik Sinner's start to the 2024 season has been compared to some starts by the members of the Big Three, and his coach doesn't think that's a fair comparison.
Comparisons in sports are common because they're one of the simplest ways of spotting the difference between players. If one player wins five trophies and the other one wins ten, then it may be easy to compare who is better.
It's unfair when people compare eras, especially when legends are compared to very young players. Many people do this, putting unnecessary pressure on young athletes just trying to find their way in professional sports.
Sinner's 2024 campaign has been compared to some others in the past, and his coach doesn't think it's fair.
He doesn't think the Italians should be compared to legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic because his career is not yet finished, and it's almost impossible to live up to the standard they set.
"Well, I don't think anybody should be comparing this generation yet to the generation that we have just seen with Novak, who is still playing, with Federer, Nadal, who is still playing. What they were able to achieve for so many years is remarkable. I don't think we will ever see that domination again no matter what."
Darren Cahill has seen all of them play, and he knows how extraordinary it is. It won't happen often, and the comparison doesn't help anybody. It also minimizes the magnitude of what the legends did, putting incredible amounts of pressure on those who don't even have five professional seasons under their belt.
"So to be able to coach through that, to live through it, to watch it as a fan, it's been remarkable how they have pushed their frontier of the game and made everyone more professional and made everybody play better."