New Big 3 in works as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz spearhead the NextGen in men’s tennis
Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner pave their way of becoming the next big things, but can they fully replace the Big-3 with another competitor joining them?
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (Credits: Reuters)
The wait of tennis fans to see Italian wunderkind Jannik Sinner win a Grand Slam title is finally over. Playing in his 17th Grand Slam event, the World No. 4 finally achieved the dream of his and many others when he won the 2024 Australian Open.
It was the maiden final appearance for Sinner in a Grand Slam event. To make matters worse, he was up against hardcourt specialist Daniil Medvedev. The former US Open champ was playing in his third AO final in the last four seasons.
Despite winning the first two sets, Medvedev couldn’t capitalize and saw Sinner win the title. The win made Sinner the second Italian man in the Open Era to win a Major. He also became the youngest man since Novak Djokovic in 2008 to win the Norman Brookes Challenger Cup.
Amidst all the celebrations around Sinner’s victory, one question was certainly raised: ‘Who will be the torchbearers for the next generation of tennis players?’ With fans waiting to see the successors of the Big-3 trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic, the quest for ‘Next Gen’ continues.
Many had their hopes set on the likes of Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Medvedev, and Matteo Berrettini to name a few. However, to their misfortune, the above-mentioned names have jointly won only two Grand Slam titles between them- Thiem at the 2020 US Open and Medvedev at the 2021 US Open.
They have indeed reached the finals at various Majors but have not been able to win the titles. 37-year-old Nadal and 36-year-old Djokovic are still formidable obstacles in the path of these ‘NextGen’ players.
Rescuing act by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
With the assumed NextGen failing to challenge the dominance of Djokovic and Nadal, fans moved on to the other younger group.
The generation of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was just arriving on the Tour with a promise to deliver. Not only did they bring the promise, they delivered it.
Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud to win the 2022 US Open. He then proved his worth at the 2023 Wimbledon where he beat four-time defending champ Djokovic. No one dared to challenge the Serb on the lawns of the All-England Club but the young Spaniard went ahead and defied all odds.
Even Sinner took Djokovic to the distance in the semis of the 2022 Wimbledon. Nole had to come from two sets down to beat the then 20-year-old Sinner. In 2023 Wimbledon, the Serb won in straight-sets against the Italian.
The two then started a good rivalry with Sinner winning the round-robin clash at the 2023 ATP Finals. Djokovic avenged the loss in the finals of the event. Sinner settled the score in the Davis Cup semis breaking Nole’s heart before leading Italy to the ‘World Cup of tennis’.
At this year’s Australian Open, the World No. 4 sent the defending champ packing in four-sets. Djokovic was lucky to narrowly avoid a straight-set defeat. Nole later admitted to having played his “worst Grand Slam match“. It was only fair Sinner won the AO title despite Medvedev losing his third finals in Australia.
Who can join Alcaraz and Sinner to possibly replace the Big-3?
The current generation of tennis fans has been spoiled by the three-way rivalry of the Big-3. With Alcaraz and Sinner looking as the flagbearers of the sport for years to come, the wait for a third shareholder continues.
Denmark’s Holger Rune has been one of the contenders. The Dane has rather self-declared the trio to be the ‘next Big-3‘. But unlike his contemporaries, he has yet to show consistency across surfaces and tiers of the Tour.
German icon Boris Becker currently coaches Rune raising hopes of big successes for the youngster. Becker also proved his mettle from 2014 to 2016 when he coached Djokovic to six Grand Slam titles.
21-year-old American Ben Shelton is another name that has recently stolen the limelight. His semi-final run at the 2023 US Open and dramatic match with Djokovic further got him attention. But the Florida resident has won just 1 career title and has a long way to go before being in the conversation.
Sinner’s compatriot Lorenzo Sonego has shown signs but consistency has been the issue with him. With only two career titles to his name so far, he also still has a lot to prove. One of the surprise elements at this year’s AO was Arthur Cazaux.
The French World No. 122 made it to the fourth round before losing to Hurkacz. But with no track record on the ATP Tour, even he isn’t yet there to be put in the conversation.
There are many youngsters in the wings but no one has dared to make it on the big stage. Sinner and Alcaraz will surely play an integral role in Grand Slam events in the coming seasons. But will there be a third rival alongside them? That remains uncertain.
In case you missed it:
- Ons Jabeur and Naomi Osaka team up for doubles at the Abu Dhabi Open! Here’s all we know
- “Tough luck today,” Novak Djokovic does not forget kind words for Daniil Medvedev as he sends hearty congratulations to Jannik Sinner after his Australian Open victory
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)