Every sport enters a transition period when its superstars near the end of their illustrious careers, and everyone wonders if the new crop of talent will still be as captivating as previous generations. Tennis is no exception.
Like streaming reruns of our favorite TV shows, at least initially, we would rather continue watching an aging idol than make way for a talented and cocky youngster who we feel hasn’t earned the right to take his successor’s position just yet. See Jimmy Connors versus Andre Agassi at the 1988 U.S. Open, when a fan famously called out, “He’s [Agassi] a punk — you’re a legend!” That “punk” would go on to defeat Connors and win eight Grand Slam titles, including all four majors and an Olympic Gold medal.
In Serena Williams’ final U.S. Open, still serving huge and playing at a relatively high level, it felt as though you could hear 24,000 fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium holding their breath with each shot she hit, trying to will her to victory. Eventually, we all had to admit that if the queen of tennis was retiring, we were no longer that young.
But surely the “Big Three” would reign almost as long as the Roman Empire, right? From 2003 through 2023, the “Big Three” of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic won an astounding 66 of 83 Grand Slam titles. The only questions we really had to ask before each major was which of the “Big Three” would be competing in the finals and who would lift the trophy. But even this dynasty could not withstand Father Time.
In his last year on the ATP Tour (2022), Roger Federer could still dance around the court like Fred Astaire and slice his backhand like he was carving a Thanksgiving turkey. But his lethal forehand became more erratic and error-prone than we were accustomed to, and the eight-time Wimbledon champion lost the final set of his last match at the All England Club by a score of Love-six.
Before Rafael Nadal retired at the end of last year, he still had a lasso of a topspin forehand, but injuries finally caught up to the 14-time French Open champion. He lost in straight sets in the first round at Roland-Garros (to the No. 4 seed), and was no longer able to cover the court like the raging bull that we were accustomed to seeing for nearly twenty years.
With Federer and Nadal both out of the game and questions about how much longer the 38-year-old Novak Djokovic will continue playing becoming ever more frequent by any definition, the men’s tennis game has been in a state of transition over the past couple of years. Which brings us to the budding rivalry between Jannik Sinner (aged 23) and Carlos Alcaraz (still just 22).
Even before their five-set, nearly six-hour masterpiece at Roland Garros (won by Alcaraz) or their most recent clash at the Wimbledon final (this time won by Sinner), we knew we were watching two players who are as exciting and as talented as the “Big Three.” Beyond that, it’s arguable that Alcaraz and Sinner have the ability to accomplish more than Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic — especially if they don’t allow a disrupter into their club. That’s saying something when you consider that Djokovic currently holds the record for most Grand Slam men’s singles titles (24), followed by Nadal (22) and Federer (20).
Aside from the title dominance, what made the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic rivalry unique was that each of them seemed to possess something the others didn’t. Federer’s all-court game, serve placement, and artistry paired well with the lefty Nadal’s relentless heavy groundstrokes and court speed, while Djokovic’s elasticity and aggressive baseline play provided plenty of exquisite rallies.
Like the “Big Three,” Sinner and Alcaraz know how to use every dimension of the court. But what makes Sinner and Alcaraz unique is that they both play a similar style, while possessing many, if not all, of the attributes of the “Big Three.”
They both hit serves regularly in the 130s, and even second serves in the 120s. They can hit their forehands with heavy topspin, or flatten it out and easily uncork one in the triple digits. They can both hit their two-handed backhands with pinpoint accuracy and pace — down the line or cross-court. The scary part is, even when they decide to unload on their groundstrokes, it looks like a high percentage shot for them, and it does not even appear that they’re exerting themselves too much.
Beating Sinner or Alcaraz from the back of the court does not appear to be a doable strategy, because they’ll just wear you down physically. If you try to play too aggressively against them, you’re likely to start making too many unforced errors, because it requires you to play riskier shots than you’re comfortable with.
But on the flip side, if you don’t consistently hit the ball deep and firm enough, you’re likely to watch the ball zip by you on a fairly regular basis. Beating them at the net does not appear to be a winning strategy either, because their movement, their defense, and their passing shots are simply too good.
Alcaraz has the edge in the footspeed department, but with Sinner’s wingspan, no ball ever seems out of his reach either. With the exception of Djokovic — when he’s healthy — there does not appear to be anyone on tour who has the talent to beat them regularly.
As it stands, Sinner and Alcaraz have now won the last seven majors, and both are heavily favored to win the U.S. Open next month. It’s safe to say the transition period for the post “Big Three” era is officially over.
The next golden age of men’s tennis is unfolding before our very eyes, and that should make everyone happy — including the pickleball players.