Those of us born in the early 1980s are extremely fortunate in terms of the quality of tennis that we have witnessed, across generations, in both the men’s and women’s games. We grew up in what has been called the ‘Golden Era’ of international tennis.
Just think of the multi-generational talent that we have seen play. From the likes of Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Steffi Graf, Gabriella Sabatini, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Mary Pierce, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Arantxa Sachez Vicario….to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Venus Williams….to now Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and others.
We have been around to see some of the most exhilarating highs as well as some of the most crushing lows the game has ever produced, across both genders. We have witnessed and enjoyed some of the fiercest tennis rivalries and seen the game evolve from the mostly serve and volley style of play to the modern-day mostly baseline slug-fest. We have been lucky indeed.
And what we are witnessing now in the men’s singles game is yet another period of almost complete domination by two to three players.
Picture this – Of the 44 Grand Slams played from 2015 to now, 28 have been shared between Djokovic (17 in that period), Alcaraz (7 in that period) and Sinner (4 in that period). That is a staggering 64%. This remember was a period in which the likes of Federer, Nadal, Stanislas Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem were all active and won Slams. And yet, unmistakably, a new ‘Big Three’ was being formed. And after the retirements of Federer and Nadal, the new ‘Big Three’ was unofficially anointed and it was clear that the new exclusive club was very different from the old one. While the old one had two established stars, before there was a third who disrupted the men’s game completely, the new one had one big established name and two newcomers who staked their claim.
Sincaraz leave everyone behind in Grand Slam race
And while the old warhorse found it more and more difficult to add to his already burgeoning tally of Slam titles, the newcomers quickly went from strength to strength and made sure that the gulf between them and the rest of the ‘young’ field kept growing. It’s mind-boggling to think that Alcaraz and Sinner, aged 22 and 24 respectively have already won 11 Slam titles between them. In fact, the two new ‘kings of men’s tennis’ have won the last nine Grand Slam titles between them.
The one who has his nose ahead at the moment, and arguably the best player in the world is Carlos Alcaraz – a player who some like Britain’s Jamie Murray (as said on TNT Sports) feel is “carrying the sport right now”. It’s very interesting to note the similarities between him and Djokovic, in terms of personality. They are both fun-loving individuals, ready to smile, ready to shake an opponent’s hand warmly, even if they have lost an encounter. Both know how to entertain the fans and get a crowd going. They can both be showmen and they are both disruptors.
It’s not surprising therefore to see Djokovic and Alcaraz – a pair that has won a staggering 31 Slam titles between them – share a visibly warm relationship. Their camaraderie, and mutual respect, despite being contenders for the same titles is unmistakable.
It’s not surprising that Alcaraz has earned Djokovic’s respect. To think that at 22, he already has seven Grand Slam titles under his belt. That’s more than the total number of Slam titles that John McEnroe won in his entire career and that is already more than what two other legends – Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg won (6 Grand Slam titles each). Add to that the fact that, according to most experts, Alcaraz hasn’t really peaked yet and at 22 has already won more Slam titles than even Djokovic had, when the Serbian was 22 years old. In fact, at 22, Djokovic had won just one Grand Slam title (2008 Australian Open). He had to wait till 2011 to win his next one. In other words, at 22, Alcaraz has six more titles than what Djokovic did at that age.
At 22, Federer had won three and Nadal had won six Slam titles. So, Alcaraz is ahead of the entire old ‘Big Three’ trio.
Despite being from Spain, where traditionally the tennis players have been bred on clay courts and have all been mostly clay court experts (Rafael Nadal was another exception – but he won his first non-French Open Grand Slam three years after his first triumph at Roland Garros), Alcaraz seems to have become extremely comfortable and confident on all surfaces in the 6 years that he has been playing on the ATP Tour (made his ATP Tour debut aged 16 at the Rio Open). The Australian Open was the only Slam he hadn’t won till before the 2026 final, but now he has that trophy in his cabinet as well. In other words, he has completed a career Slam (winning all four Grand Slams) at age 22, becoming the youngest ever to do that in not just the Open Era (1968 onwards), but overall, in men’s tennis history, eclipsing Don Budge’s all-time record of completing the career Slam at the age of 22 years and 355 days in 1938.
Federer was 27 when he completed the career Slam, Nadal was 24 and Djokovic managed to do it at the age of 29. Alcaraz, in fact, is only the sixth man in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams, joining Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Agassi and Rod Laver. So, Alcaraz has more Grand Slam titles before the age of 23 than any other man in the Open Era. It’s dizzying to think that he has already elevated his game to such a level that he has completed the career Slam in what was just his 12th Slam appearance, absolutely shattering the previous Open Era record held by compatriot and his personal idol – Rafael Nadal – who took 20 appearances to complete his career Slam. No wonder Rafa, watching from the stands, looked so proud as he watched his compatriot conquer Australia on Sunday.
The new Spanish gladiator on the block has lost just one of the eight Slam finals he has appeared in so far. Some might argue that by the age of 23, Nadal had won six Slams, so Alcaraz’s achievements are not that much greater than what we have seen from a member of the old ‘Big Three’. But we must remember that four of Nadal’s first six Slam titles were all won at the French Open (2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008). By the age of 23, along with the four titles at Roland Garros, Nadal had won one Wimbledon and one Australian Open title. Compare that with what Alcaraz has done so far – winning two Wimbledon, two US Open and one Australian Open title, along with two French Open crowns – and you know he is way ahead. There can be no argument here. Conquering all surfaces by the age of 22 is very, very special.
The Spanish flag continues to fly high and the baton has well and truly been passed. Till before the AO this year, Alcaraz hadn’t been past the quarter-final stage of the year’s first Slam – something that baffled the experts, given that he had already conquered the hard courts of the US Open. But there was never any doubt that he would win at Melbourne Park for sure.
Before the AO began this year, I had spoken to former India tennis player and Padma Shri awardee, Somdev Devvarman, and he had said – “…this guy (Alcaraz) is made of special stuff. It’s just a matter of time till he figures it out (how to win the Australian Open).”
And the 22-year-old well and truly has – managing to hold off a huge challenge from Zverev in the semi-finals and then staying calm despite losing the first set in the final against the most successful men’s tennis player of all time. It is quite incredible to see how well-rounded Alcaraz’s game is already. Historically, there has never been a better retriever in the men’s game than Djokovic. Alcaraz is already showing signs of being better. Djokovic threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Spaniard on Sunday, but Alcaraz almost always had an answer. Djokovic has been arguably the biggest disruptor in the men’s game historically, breaking the almost iron-clad duopoly that Federer and Nadal had created. It wasn’t surprising then to hear him say this about his final opponent after the summit clash.
“What you’ve been doing, the best word to describe it is ‘historic’. It’s legendary.”
Next decade secured and we’ll be there! 😀 🍿 pic.twitter.com/r00jHVueL4
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 1, 2026
It’s not just what Alcaraz has managed to achieve so far that amazes experts; it’s also the nonchalance and self-confidence that he exudes on the tennis court, while occasionally flashing a million-watt smile, even in extreme pressure situations. He knows he has the game to topple any opponent, even his closest rival – Jannik Sinner. The Italian came back from a set down to beat Alcaraz, who was the defending champion, in the final of Wimbledon last year, in four sets. In the next Slam – at Flushing Meadows – Alcaraz was ready, bouncing back to hand Sinner a similar result – a 4 setter that the Spaniard won to clinch his second US Open title.
“…at that age, the creativity is getting better, the hands, the feel, understanding situations, the bursts of energy, the explosiveness that he has on both sides, the shot-making abilities. And to add to all that – the solidity. I think that’s the (really) important thing when it comes to Carlos – he is improving all those parts of his game too,” Somdev said.
While Alcaraz continues to baffle the statisticians, Sinner has made sure he is always in the conversation these days. Of the last nine Slams played – since the 2024 Australian Open – Sinner has won four. His game has also improved at an extremely fast pace. Though his brand of tennis is not as physical as that of Alcaraz’s, he has well and truly established himself as a member of the new ‘Big Three’, winning four Slam titles in the space of two seasons (2024 & 2025). The only Slam he hasn’t won yet is the French Open – and he almost won that too last year, only to be denied by a superhuman effort by Alcaraz (Alcaraz won the 2025 French Open final vs Sinner 4–6, 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 7–6 in a 5-hour, 29-minute marathon match).
“Sinner is coming in more, he is adding different elements to his game, which is making him tougher and tougher to play,” Somdev said ahead of AO 2026.
Who the most improved player is between Sinner and Alcaraz in the last one year is a very tough question to answer, because of their very different styles of play. But according to Somdev, Alcaraz is “doing it less mechanically”.
One look at the ATP men’s singles rankings will show that there are only three Grand Slam champions in the top 10. And we know exactly who they are. Someone like Zverev, who gave Alcaraz quite a scare in the semi-finals of the AO this time, has been playing on the ATP Tour since July 2013 (debuted at the German Open) and is yet to win his maiden Slam title. He has so far made the finals of three Slams (Australian, French Open and US Open). There are many young players who have incredibly good skills, the physicality required to play the modern game and mostly rather mature heads on their shoulders, but no one is managing to catch up with Alcaraz and Sinner.
“….the fact (is) that the two of them (Sinner and Alcaraz) have made massive, massive strides in very short periods of time. Not long ago, we were calling Sinner ‘the quarter-final man’. And just look at him now. Sinner has just elevated his game and taken it to the next level – this is (all) in the last four-five years. So, it’s quite incredible – the level that both of them are at and the rate at which they are improving,” Somdev further explained.
Tennis has a new ‘Big 3’
Just how much longer Djokovic will continue to play at the highest level and whether he can produce what it will take to win that elusive 25th Slam title is anyone’s guess. This time, at the AO, he managed to get the better of Sinner, but couldn’t get past Alcaraz. And the 24-time Grand Slam champion will be under no illusion that he will have to beat both to get his hands on title number 25. Whether he gets to that or not, it might be safe to say that a new era is upon us, with Djokovic well and truly in the sunset of his career.
So, will we see an era of domination like never before? Will Alcaraz and Sinner keep dividing the titles between themselves, with the rest of the pack in with a chance only if one of them is injured or otherwise unavailable? What happens if this almost absolute domination continues in the foreseeable future?
“It (men’s tennis) is going to be taken to new heights. I do think (though) that with their (Sinner’s and Alcaraz’s) levels rising, the rest of the Tour will catch up. The sport is changing, also keep in mind that (best of) two out of three sets is very different than three out of five…..there is a lot that is going on. The sport is getting more physical, the balls are getting heavier, physical demands are higher on young players… I do believe that there are players on the tour now who have crazy firepower….there is a saying in tennis – ‘if you want to beat the best players, you better believe that you can’. I think there are a few players on the ATP Tour, the young ones that are coming up who probably believe that they can,” said Somdev in response to the last question.
If you are feeling a particular sense of deja-vu, don’t blame yourself. We all remember the Federer-Nadal domination. One of the biggest questions asked at that time also was – “will there be someone who will stop these two?”
So, who are these other players, who, in the next 2-3 years maybe, can potentially catch up with Alcaraz and Sinner? That is a question that only someone who has played the sport professionally can answer, given a pro’s ability to notice technical aspects of a player’s game that others can’t.
When asked this question, Somdev said – “… I do see (new) people coming through. (Joao) Fonseca (current world number 32) is probably high up on that list. Nobody knew who he was till last year. (Jakub) Mensik (men’s 16th seed at the AO this year) is younger than him (and is) – top 20. I think Learner Tien is an insane player (was the men’s 25th seed at the AO this year). He is top 30, winning titles (Tien won the 2025 Moselle Open and the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals), and again, one year ago nobody knew him.
“We are talking about players who have the game to beat these guys (Sinner and Alcaraz). I think Rafael Jodar who is a qualifier form Spain (for the AO this year and lost to Mensik in the second round) – I think he is an incredible talent. He has been playing in the college circuit for the last year and a half (for the University of Virginia – By end 2025, Jódar had won 3 titles on the ATP Challenger Tour to become the youngest Spaniard since Carlos Alcaraz to achieve the feat). There are a lot of young players coming up and I do think that Top 20 is going to see a reasonable change….Ben Shelton (men’s 8th seed at the AO this year, lost to Sinner in the quarter-finals) on a good day – who knows?”
Who knows indeed. Will Alcaraz and Sinner be the new Federer and Nadal? Will there be another Djokovic who will disrupt and break-up a duopoly?
No matter what the future holds in store, there’s no doubt that we have a new ‘Big Three’. One that is very different in so many ways from its older version and yet so similar. And going by what we have seen over the last couple of years, soon we could well have a ‘Big Two’ left, before we get a brand new ‘Big Three’.
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