Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have ushered tennis into a new era, sparking comparisons with the ‘big three’.
The last nine Grand Slams have all gone to either Sinner or Alcaraz. The last time someone else won a major was when Novak Djokovic took the 2023 US Open title.
While Djokovic has spoken highly of Alcaraz, there are still plenty of fans who are not ready to put the current top two in the same bracket as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and the Serb just yet.
On the other hand, Patrick Mouratoglou recently suggested that Alcaraz and Sinner have surpassed that legendary trio, prompting Andy Murray to react to the debate.
Andy Murray laughs off comparisons between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic
Mouratoglou posted his thoughts on Instagram, placing Sinner and Alcaraz in the same bracket when it comes to quality.
“For those who think Djokovic’s win over Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals means the big three plays better tennis than Alcaraz and Sinner: that’s a far too simplistic view,” he stated.
“Jannik is faster, hits harder, takes the ball earlier, and serves better than Novak. Novak has the strongest mentality in tennis history, and that’s what made the difference.”
“Novak isn’t a better tennis player than Sinner, but he is the greatest competitor in history, and he was better than Jannik Sinner in that match.”
Nadal responded with a few emojis questioning Mouratoglou’s comments, and Murray did something similar.
He reacted to Mouratoglou’s interview with Jake Humphrey on High Performance by posting three laughing emojis and a heart.
Greg Rusedski weighs in on how Sinner and Alcaraz compare to tennis legends
Former British number one Greg Rusedski also thinks Sinner and Alcaraz might have an edge over the ‘big three’, but he added an important point to consider.
Speaking to Tennis365, he said: “What Jannik and Carlos are achieving is elevating tennis to a higher level; they are playing at a level never seen before, so it can be said they are better than the Big 3.”
“However, that does not mean Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic wouldn’t have reached this level of play if they had the current conditions.”
The pace of play has noticeably slowed over recent years, which is likely what Rusedski was hinting at in his comments.
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