'Better Than 10 Years Ago': Alcaraz and Sinner Already Past Big 3's Level Says Former No. 6
NewsSaturday, 19 July 2025 at 13:00
The dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner created comparisons to the famed Big Three. According to some, they have already surpassed their level.
Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last seven Grand Slam titles. The Italian player claimed four of them while his Spanish rival lifted three. That's the kind of dominance that the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal used to have.
It's always difficult to compare eras, but some still choose to do it. Since Sinner and Alcaraz started dominating, some of the pundits and former players made claims that raised some eyebrows.
Some think the two would be favorites even against Rafael Nadal on clay, while others say that their overall level is just much higher than that of the Big Three.
Of course, that doesn't mean they are necessarily better, as times change, and so does how tennis is played. One player who had a chance to play against all five of these players, and even beat Sinner, Nadal, and Federer, spoke about the comparison.
Hubert Hurkacz has been battling injuries recently, but he had plenty of time to watch the sport. He watched Wimbledon and spoke to Tennis365 about his observations.
According to the Polish player, the level on the ATP Tour at the moment is higher than it was ten years ago when the Big Three dominated. However, Hurkacz didn't want to disrespect Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Andy Murray by saying that.
Hurkacz stated that despite the level being higher right now, he believes the greats would be able to adjust, as they always did.
"It’s difficult to say who wins when they are all playing their best tennis. I feel like the level is growing every single year, and obviously, we can say the level is better than it was ten years ago, but that is not to say Roger, Rafa, Novak, and Andy could not get to where we are now. They also improved every year and raised the bar, so if they were playing now, they would still be improving."
Hurkacz explained that the level at which Sinner and Alcaraz are able to compete motivates the rest of the Tour. It makes him, and everyone else, work harder to become even better and challenge these two players.
"What we can say is Jannik and Carlos are playing at an incredible level now, and it is up to the rest of us to work hard to keep up with them. That’s why I wake up every morning and work so hard to try and reach those levels. They are setting a big target now, so that is what we have to aim for."
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