“(Novak) Djokovic Is Wearing Himself Out but…,” Former WTA Pro Dishes Out Harsh Truth on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Taking On the Big 4

The 2024 season marked a significant turning point in men’s tennis, as it was the first time since 2002 that none of the celebrated ‘Big 4’ – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djoković, and Andy Murray – captured a Grand Slam title. These four players, who debuted between 1998 and 2005, have dominated the sport for two decades, amassing a staggering 69 Grand Slam titles collectively. However, with Federer, Murray and Nadal, Novak Djokovic stands as the sole active member of this legendary group. Interestingly, 2024 also saw Djokovic fail to win an ATP title for the first time since 2005. This raises the question: is the 37-year-old finally feeling the impact of age?

On 26th March, during an interview with Agence France-Presse(AFP), a French international news agency, one of the most promising tennis players of the 1980s and a former Top 20, Catherine Tanvier was asked, if he was “worried that it will be difficult to replace the “Big 4″ after the golden era?”

“At one point, it bothered me,” Tanvier began.

“We see Murray quitting due to injury, and Federer quitting due to injury. They aren’t being pushed out by a younger generation,” he continued. And Djokovic?

“Djokovic is wearing himself out but isn’t being pushed out by the younger generations. He was still a semi-finalist at the Australian Open, an Olympic champion in Paris. He won Grand Slams a year or two ago…” What about the so-called ‘Big 2’-Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?

“After that, there are still some great players like Sinner and Alcaraz, who will hold the fort for a long time. It’s still good, but they haven’t pushed them out,” she concluded.

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been in the discussion for a while now. Alcaraz (21) has won four Grand Slam titles in his career so far, while Jannik Sinner (23) has clinched three. And according to their peer, Thanasi Kokkinakis, “it’s fair to compare them to the Big 3. Accolades-wise, maybe it’s not as there is so much more of their career to play out, but in terms of ability and talent they are right up there.“

Even the seven-time Grand Slam winner, Mats Wilander, thinks that both Sinner and Alcaraz are following in the “footsteps of the ‘Big 3’ in terms of level”. But then there are some like Roger Federer’s former coach, Paul Annacone, who think, “It’s going to be fun, but let’s not compare them to the Big Three yet.” 

Even according to Carlos Alcaraz, these tennis greats have already set the bar for tennis, and he admits that although it’s nice to fight for great things, “but to get to the point of that rivalry between Rafa, Federer, and Djokovic, the truth is that this is practically going to be impossible to repeat.“

Well, the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer, had once claimed that he was “never worried” about the future of tennis. But why not?

In October 2022, he said, “The game always creates superstars and creates great stories and so for me, I never worried about the game.” Looking back at their own emergence, he said that when he started his own career, people used to say tennis wouldn’t look great post-Sampras and Agassi era, but Federer, along with the other three, proved them wrong. “So for me to now look at the future, I know it’s incredibly bright and we don’t have to worry about it on either side, men and women.” What do the others members of Big 4 have to say about the future of tennis? 

Novak Djokovic reveals the “next big three” in men’s tennis who can cause him a few troubles in the near future

In November 2023, Novak Djokovic gave an interview in Turin, where he named three players who could force him out of tennis. Who were they, though?

According to the Serb, “Carlos, Jannik, and Holger are the big three. The next big three, if you want to call them. They are going to carry this sport. I will hang on for as long as I feel like hanging on. As long as I’m able to win against them on the big stage. I’ll still keep going because why stop if you’re still winning the biggest titles. Once they start to kick my b-tt, then I will consider probably having a little break or maybe a permanent break from professional tennis.”

Interestingly, even American legend, Andre Agassi, also named these three youngsters as the possible ones to replace the ‘Big 3’. Similarly, Nadal thinks, “If we’ve done it, others can do it, and things are there to be improved. Obviously, there are two players who are above the rest: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and there were three of us for almost too many years.”

And Murray believes that both these players will “win a number of majors each“, but he doesn’t think they will equal or better the number of Grand Slam titles won by the Big 3. What are your thoughts on this, though?