Just like nature, the world of sports can’t stand an empty space. There’s often a fleeting moment between dominant eras, a sense of quiet as one generation steps back and the next hasn’t quite found its footing. We’re always eager to crown the ‘next big thing,’ assigning hopes to promising athletes who might lead the charge into a new age.
Funnily enough, the moment these rising stars truly arrive, the hunt for their own successors begins. It’s almost certain that tennis enthusiasts are already wondering: who will come after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner? At 22 and 24 respectively, these young champions are just beginning their incredible journeys.
When a 17-year-old Boris Becker clinched Wimbledon in 1985, he was even younger than the junior champion that year. Four years later, Michael Chang won the French Open at an even younger age. Yet, neither of them defined an entire era. The true measure of greatness isn’t solely in records; it’s in the captivating artistry a player brings to the court, how they seize our collective imagination beyond mere viewership. Sport is a constant reimagining, with each new chapter built upon the last. Traces of Björn Borg’s iconic backhand can be found in Novak Djokovic’s game, while Roger Federer’s elegant forehand inspires countless aspiring players. And John McEnroe’s legendary touch? It shines brightly through Alcaraz’s masterful play.
The memorable Borg-McEnroe rivalry concluded abruptly with Borg’s retirement at just 26. McEnroe famously tried to coax the Swedish star back, recognizing that truly great players thrive on great adversaries. “I felt there was a void,” McEnroe reflected later, “I felt it was up to me to manufacture my own intensity thereafter.” This insightful quote comes from Tim Adams’ On Being John McEnroe (2003), a book considered, alongside John McPhee’s Levels of the Game (1969), among the most brilliant works on tennis.
Three Tennis Titans for the Price of Two
William Hazlitt, the renowned essayist, once noted that prose style offers the most precise reflection of societal norms and evolving directions. Similarly, every sporting era eagerly awaits the author who can truly capture its essence up close. While we’ve seen countless analyses, a truly definitive book on tennis’s ‘Big Three’ — Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal — remains elusive. Their era, a remarkable blend of staggering statistics and breathtaking aesthetics, is arguably unmatched. Together, they secured an astounding 66 out of 84 Grand Slam titles. What made them truly special was their multifaceted game: Federer wasn’t just elegant touch; Nadal wasn’t solely raw power. Each possessed elements of the others, giving us three distinct legends who transcended the typical two-player rivalries seen in previous generations like Sampras-Agassi, Evert-Navratilova, Graf-Seles, or Court-King, Laver-Rosewall.
Jannik Sinner after his win at the China Open tournament in Beijing on October 1.
The dominance of a Serb, a Spaniard, and a Swiss player also marked a shift, as the sport moved beyond its traditional strongholds in the U.S., Australia, and Sweden. Now, we witness the ascent of Jannik Sinner, the first Italian male to achieve the world No. 1 ranking. Hailing from the Alpine region of South Tyrol, where many, like Sinner, are German-speaking ethnic Austrians, he proudly declares himself “100 percent Italian,” despite his linguistic background. Future chroniclers will undoubtedly highlight this new era for its embrace of fluid national identities, though this isn’t entirely new in tennis. For instance, Czech legend Jaroslav Drobný famously won Wimbledon in 1954 as an Egyptian citizen, only to later compete as a British player.
The Tennis Spectacle Continues
This exciting new generation already has its own catchy nickname: ‘Sincaraz.’ Interestingly, the previous ‘Big Three’ — Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic — never adopted a combined moniker like ‘Fedalvic,’ perhaps due to its less-than-elegant sound, which wouldn’t have suited those iconic champions.
Carlos Alcaraz won the 2025 Japan Open, also an ATP 500 tennis tournament, in Tokyo on September 30.
It’s rare for one era to seamlessly transition into another, but in tennis, this is precisely what has unfolded. In 2023, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, and remarkably, the following year saw none of the ‘Big Three’ claim a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002. The changing of the guard was complete. While Djokovic’s chances of extending his record 24 Grand Slam titles have significantly diminished, his impressive achievement of reaching the semi-finals in all four majors this year suggests that the ‘Sincaraz’ duo might not have an entirely clear path just yet.
Beyond the men’s game, a notable rivalry is also brewing between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, though the women’s tour typically sees less singular dominance. Swiatek, 24, and Sabalenka, 27, are the only female players to successfully defend a Grand Slam title since Serena Williams accomplished it at the US Open in 2014. Contrastingly, between 2015 and 2025, only five male players outside the ‘Big Three’ (Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Alcaraz, and Sinner) have won a Grand Slam, whereas a remarkable twenty different women have achieved this feat.
The clear takeaway is that women’s tennis hasn’t seen an equivalent ‘Big Three’ dynamic. The competitive landscape is far more diverse, and with women playing best-of-three-set matches, recovering from an early deficit is exceptionally challenging. Consequently, female champions experience upsets more frequently. Grand Slam winners have emerged from a wide array of nations including Italy, Germany, Spain, Latvia, Denmark, Japan, Poland, Romania, Canada, the Czech Republic, and Belarus, in addition to the U.S., Australia, and Britain. This global diversity is undoubtedly a positive for the sport as a whole.
Tennis on the Rise
The International Tennis Federation’s 2024 Global Tennis Report highlights a significant surge in participation, with over 100 million people now playing the sport – an unprecedented number. This growing engagement is fueled by fans connecting with national heroes or aspiring to emulate global icons like Roger Federer, sparking ambition across continents.
Historically, tennis was largely confined to the affluent, a pastime for those who could afford leisure, thus reinforcing social distinctions. It was a game graced by meticulously maintained grass courts, where one might slice a backhand with the same refined delicacy as a cucumber.
Alcaraz (in pink) hugs Sinner at men’s singles final of 2025 US Open championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York.
Today, however, ‘delicacy’ is hardly the term that springs to mind when describing professional tennis. The modern game is defined by power, grit, and an unyielding intensity. Indeed, if Alcaraz or Sinner approached a cucumber with the same ferocity they apply to their backhands, you’d be well-advised to keep your distance at the buffet table!
Following his US Open triumph, Alcaraz quipped to Sinner, “I’m seeing you more than my family.” Sinner, in turn, aware of the need to evolve and avoid predictability, has announced plans to adapt his playing style. A new era inherently brings new expectations, and perhaps the most exciting one is the prospect of Alcaraz and Sinner continuing their captivating rivalry on the court for years to come.
The author’s most recent work is titled Why Don’t You Write Something I Might Read?