Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's exceptional development does not mean they should be compared to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, according to one of Federer's former coaches.
Rafael Nadal's retirement at the Davis Cup Finals means only Novak Djokovic remains of the legendary trio that dominated the sport for so many years. Federer's career ended at the 2022 Laver Cup with a doubles match alongside Nadal.
Although he did not achieve the same level of success as those three players, Andy Murray was also a significant rival to them for several years until a severe hip injury in 2017 curtailed his career.
Murray played seven Grand Slam finals against Djokovic, winning two. The Briton is retired now, but the tennis world was stunned when Djokovic appointed Murray as his coach until next year's Australian Open.
The era of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer dominating means fans are looking for the next rivalry in the sport, and Alcaraz and Sinner are in the early stages of what could become one of the best rivalries tennis has seen.
Sinner is 23, and Alcaraz is just 21, but they have already contested epic matches, such as five-set battles at the 2022 US Open and this year's French Open. The US Open battle was among the best seen at Flushing Meadows.
Their China Open final this year was another incredible match. After over three hours on the court, Alcaraz outlasted his rival in a deciding set tiebreak after a lengthy and grueling contest of exceptional quality.
Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, while Sinner claimed the Australian Open and US Open titles. Their splitting of the four Grand Slams meant Djokovic failed to win a major title during a season for the first time since 2017.
That means Alcaraz and Sinner have established themselves as the best players in the world, even though the Spaniard finished at No. 3 behind Alexander Zverev. Federer's former coach, Paul Annacone, called that a glitch in the system.
Annacone also spoke on the Tennis Channel's Inside-In podcast about why it is too early to compare Alcaraz and Sinner to Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal despite acknowledging the young pair as great champions.
"Yeah, that helps, when you see two great champions come on to the stage like Alcaraz and Sinner, with the humility and integrity they have.It's going to be fun, but let's not compare them to the Big Three yet."
Sinner and Alcaraz could eventually reach the heights of the three men widely considered the best in tennis history, but putting too much pressure on them might harm their chances of achieving that.
Despite how good they are, each mean will undoubtedly experience some struggles in the future and have to overcome challenges. Allowing them to do that without constant comparisons to Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic seems wise.
However, tennis remains in a healthy place with Alcaraz and Sinner at the top of the ATP Tour and players like Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Swiatek on the WTA Tour.
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