Djokovic frankly reveals the true scale of the Alcaraz – Sinner clashes compared to the epic battles of the ‘Big Three’.

07/11/2025 00:10:00 PANDATV

Novak Djokovic openly compares the battles between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner with the fierce encounters he had against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic assesses the magnitude of the rivalry between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner relative to the "Big Three".

At present, Alcaraz and Sinner stand out as the top names on the ATP Tour. Last weekend, Sinner reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking after winning the Paris Masters title.

Djokovic admits he regards both as direct rivals but insists they still require a few more years competing at the highest level to reach the stature of the "Big Three".

Djokovic remarks that the competition between Sinner and Alcaraz is perfect for contemporary men’s tennis. Their race for the No. 1 ranking keeps shifting back and forth.

Sinner recently ascended to the top of the ATP rankings after triumphing in Paris, while Alcaraz dropped to second place. Nonetheless, the Spanish player leads their head-to-head 10-5, including the latest victory at the US Open final in New York, where he defeated the Italian in four sets. That Flushing Meadows final marked their third consecutive Grand Slam final meeting.

Novak Djokovic believes Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner still need more time to replicate the intense rivalries he experienced with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic hopes both will continue to provide fans with many more top-level matches in the future, but he also feels their competition is not yet comparable to what he went through with Federer and Nadal.

"I have spent most of my career facing the two greatest rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer," Djokovic told the ATP official website. "Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are also my rivals currently, but they are still very young. There is a 15-year experience gap on Tour between us. Our rivalry has lasted only a few years, whereas I competed against Federer and Nadal for 20 years. So, it’s hard to compare. But it’s great that tennis now has an exciting new rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz."

Djokovic holds the record for the most men’s singles Grand Slam titles in history with 24 victories, the latest being the 2023 US Open. This achievement puts him ahead of Nadal (22 titles), while Federer ended his career with his last Grand Slam title at the 2018 Australian Open.

This means Sinner (4 Grand Slams) and Alcaraz (6 Grand Slams) still have a long journey if they want to catch up with these legends. However, they have dominated all eight of the most recent Grand Slam tournaments together. Djokovic commented, "They have produced excellent matches over the past 18 months. Hopefully, they will continue, as tennis really needs that."

Djokovic himself has won only one title this season — the ATP 250 in Geneva last May. However, he reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams. A reduced schedule combined with rapidly improving young rivals caused him to lose the No. 1 ranking to Sinner.

Djokovic faces a ‘nemesis’ in Athens?

Talking about the feeling of standing at the top of the rankings, Djokovic said: "It feels amazing, but sometimes quite lonely. You become the target everyone wants to beat. That changes your approach to matches and your mindset."

"Becoming No. 1 is the dream of any athlete. But after achieving it, you face a new challenge: defending that position. When you lead, it’s easy to become defensive and feel the pressure to hold on."

"Therefore, it’s important to keep your spirit hungry for conquest, keep striving, and see yourself as one of those chasing the goal rather than the hunted. If you only think, ‘I’m No. 1 and everyone wants to bring me down,’ you create unnecessary pressure."

Currently, Djokovic is competing at the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship in Athens as the top seed. He will face Nuno Borges in the quarterfinals after defeating Alejandro Tabilo in round two.

He reflected on his most memorable matches: "The 2012 Australian Open final against Nadal was the longest Grand Slam final in history, and the 2019 Wimbledon final against Federer was also one of the biggest matches of my life. But if I had to choose the best match I ever played, it would probably be the 2019 Australian Open final against Nadal. I performed at an exceptionally high level in that match."

Comment (0)