Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner get ultimate praise as Novak Djokovic retirement looms
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have risen to the top of the tennis tree at the perfect moment and have ended the concerns over what comes next as the ‘Big 3’ era comes to an end.
That’s the verdict of former world No 12 Feliciano Lopez, who believes the two players who shared the Grand Slam titles in 2024 are ready to dominate the men’s game for the next decade.
Tennis has lived through a golden age in the men’s game, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic transcending the sport taking it to a huge global audience over the last two decades.
Replacing those iconic figures was always going to be a challenge, but Lopez believes Alcaraz and Sinner have emerged at the perfect moment to step into their shoes.
“We are very lucky in the tennis industry to have Sinner and Alcaraz leading this new generation of players,” said Lopez, speaking an event to promote the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga that gets underway on November 19.
“They have different personalities and that adds something to this rivalry. I hope they can play for the next ten years.
“Carlos is so young and he has achieved so much for his age. We will have time to compare, but it’s truly remarkable what he has achieved. He has four Slams and he is only 21.
“Sinner is an unbelievable athlete as well. He has won only two Slams, but he could have won more. He is more mature and more confident in his skills and his potential in general since he won the Australian Open.
“We are going to see so many matches between Alcaraz and Sinner. As a tennis fan, I feel very lucky that they came at the right time.”
Lopez will have a big role to play in what is certain to be the emotional farewell ceremonies for Spanish tennis icon Nadal later at the Davis Cup Finals later this month, as he is the Tournament Director at the event in Malaga.
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When he assesses Alcaraz’s impact at the age of just 21, Lopez admits he is in awe of what he has achieved in the sport.
“It’s truly remarkable what Carlos has achieved over the last three years,” reflected Lopez, who played in 31 Davis Cup ties during his impressive career.
“He’s so young and he has achieved so much. He has won four Slams and he is only 21.
“We will have time to compare him to other players in the future, but tennis is lucky to have Sinner and Alcaraz leading this new generation of players. This is a true blessing for tennis.
“We have been lucky to have these great players in Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, but that era is coming to an end.
“At this moment when two of them are gone and we don’t know how much Novak is going to play, hopefully Sinner and Alcaraz can have a great rivalry for many years to come.”
Alcaraz and Sinner could face off in the Davis Cup finals if Spain and Italy get to the decisive match of the competition and they could also be in line to meet at next week’s ATP Finals in Turin.
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