Jannik Sinner Plays Down Need to Compare His Rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz with That of the Big 3

After two decades defined by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal (known as the Big 3), Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have seized control with impressive authority. Although questions have begun to be raised about their near-uncontested dominance on tour, Sinner is not seeking any comparison with the Big 3.

Since Nadal retired from professional tennis, Alcaraz has carried much of the expectations surrounding Spanish tennis, while Sinner has been dubbed to have a flair of Federer and Djokovic. At the same time, the sustained dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner has prompted comparisons with the Big 3.

Sinner and Alcaraz have met in the final of the last three Grand Slam finals and have dominated the men’s circuit. The duo has won the last eight major titles, and are favorites to win any tournament they feature in. Their consistent performance on the court has seen their level of play rise above that of every other player, including Djokovic.

Djokovic has, for the past two seasons, tried to challenge them, but has often failed in the process. Last season, he reached the semi-finals of all the Grand Slam tournaments, but failed to reach the final of any of them. Sinner stopped the 38-year-old in the Roland Garros and Wimbledon semi-finals, while Alcaraz defeated him in the last four of the US Open.

Sinner and Alcaraz are currently in Seoul, South Korea, ahead of their exhibition match on Saturday (January 10). During their press conference at the tournament, Sinner pointed out that he and Alcaraz’s rivalry doesn’t need to be compared with the Big 3, as they are focused on making their own stories:

We cannot compare to the big3 and we don’t want to. We are just ourselves and we want to make our own story. In sports we shouldn’t compare so much, everyone is different. I’m happy to be part of this duo. But there are a lot of great players too and if we drop down even a bit they could replace us, so it’s great to have him because he pushes me to the limit and hopefully I improve every time we play or I watch him play.

Alcaraz and Sinner will not take part in any tour-level tournament ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on January 18. The duo are favorites to win the first Grand Slam of the season despite taking the decision not to play in any event. The Seoul exhibition clash is their first tie of the 2026 season.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals why his rivalry with Jannik Sinner is special

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner faced each other six times on the court last year. The former won four of the meetings, while the latter won just two. All of those meetings came in tournaments’ finals as they are ranked in the top 2 of the ATP rankings. Nonetheless, Alcaraz leads Sinner 10-6 in their head-to-head record on tour.

During the aforementioned, Alcaraz was asked what makes their rivalry special compared to the Big 3. The World No.1 noted that they have been competing against each other since their time in the second tier of the ATP. He added that both players continued to climb the ranks while trying to get better on the court:

We’ve built a special rivalry over the years, starting from the (second-tier) Challengers, first rounds of tournaments, making our first final in ATP 250 and then to splitting the biggest tournaments of the world. I think we both push each other to be better, to be 100 percent. I think I’m just really happy to be able to have this rivalry with him.

Alcaraz will head into the Australian Open without Juan Carlos Ferrero, as both parted ways late last month. The Spaniard partnered with Ferrero for seven years before their split and will be looking forward to charting a new course without the former French Open champion.

Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz Reveals Hilarious Reason Behind Choosing Not to Vacation in Maldives During Off-Season

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