Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been absolutely crushing it lately. They’ve won the last seven Grand Slam titles between them.
Sinner grabbed four of those titles while Alcaraz took three. That’s the kind of streak we used to see from the legendary Big Three – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.
Now people are asking a pretty wild question: Are these young guys even better than the Big Three?
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubert Hurkacz | 28 | 3,995 | 29 - 12 |
It’s always tricky comparing different eras in tennis. But some experts and former players have made some pretty bold claims that got everyone talking.
Some think Sinner and Alcaraz would actually beat Nadal on clay courts. Others say their overall level of play is just way higher than what the Big Three ever achieved.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better players though. Tennis has evolved a lot, and the way the game’s played today is totally different.
A Player Who’s Faced Them All
Hubert Hurkacz has a unique perspective on this debate. The Polish player has actually faced all five of these tennis superstars on court.
He’s even managed to beat Sinner, Nadal, and Federer at different points in his career.
Hurkacz has been dealing with injuries recently, so he’s had plenty of time to watch tennis from the sidelines. He caught Wimbledon and shared some interesting thoughts with Tennis365.
According to him, the level of tennis on the ATP Tour right now is higher than it was ten years ago when the Big Three were dominating everything.
But here’s the thing – Hurkacz doesn’t want to disrespect legends like Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Andy Murray by saying that.
He thinks those greats would’ve been able to adapt and improve if they were playing today. They always found ways to raise their game throughout their careers.
"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."
The Motivation Factor
What’s really interesting is how Sinner and Alcaraz are pushing everyone else to get better.
Hurkacz says watching these two play at such an incredible level motivates him and every other player on tour. It’s like they’ve set this crazy high bar that everyone’s now trying to reach.
The competition is making everyone work harder in practice and really push their limits.
"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."
Sinner is 23 years old and Alcaraz just turned 21. If they keep this up, we might be looking at the start of another golden era in tennis.
The question isn’t really whether they’re better than the Big Three – it’s whether anyone else can step up and challenge them before they completely take over the sport.
