Novak Djokovic believes that the recent dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner pales in comparison to the era once ruled by himself, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. In the last couple of years, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has found himself in an unfamiliar position – taking something of a backseat to Alcaraz and Sinner, who have captured nine of the last 10 major titles between them.
While Djokovic was quick to credit the young duo for raising the bar and separating themselves from the rest of the current field, he also emphasised that their run of success is far from unprecedented. At a recent press conference, a journalist began their question by asking the Serbian: “You said that Sinner and Alcaraz raised tennis to a new level.” Djokovic, however, interrupted to make an important clarification. “I didn’t say that,” he said sternly.
“I said that those two play level above others currently. Have to show some respect to us. There has to be some respect for Roger, Rafa, Andy and me. That’s the level of tennis we want. Those two are level above others.”
Between 2003 and 2023, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray redefined Grand Slam supremacy. The quartet racked up titles with relentless consistency, dominating the ATP rankings and shaping men’s tennis for two decades.
Djokovic holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles with 24, followed closely by Nadal on 22 and Federer on 20. By comparison, only two other men in history have reached double-digit major counts: Pete Sampras with 14 and Bjorn Borg with 11. Murray, meanwhile, captured just three Grand Slam trophies, but his consistency matched that of the ‘Big Three,’ reaching 11 finals and 21 semi-finals throughout his career.
Alcaraz and Sinner are already carving out their own era of dominance. Not only have they claimed nine of the last 10 major titles, they’ve faced each other in the past three Grand Slam finals.
Alcaraz, with six majors to his name, defeated Sinner at both the US Open and the French Open, while the Italian, who is a four-time Grand Slam winner, triumphed over his Spanish counterpart at Wimbledon, having also captured the Australian Open earlier in the year.
If they continue winning Grand Slams at their current pace, Alcaraz and Sinner could one day challenge Djokovic’s all-time record. However, as the Serbian previously alluded to, maintaining such relentless dominance is far easier said than done.
Djokovic is just one Grand Slam away from surpassing Margaret Court as the most successful player in tennis history. However, the quest for a record 25th title is proving to be a formidable challenge.
At 38, Djokovic is facing the physical toll of a long career, with recent injury problems suggesting his body can no longer cope with the intense demands of competing at the very top. He has also gone two years without a major – his longest drought since 2010 – and failed to reach a final this year, being knocked out in the semi-finals each time.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz and Sinner show no signs of slowing down, making a 25th title increasingly elusive. But if there’s one thing Djokovic has consistently shown over the years, it’s that he should never be counted out.