PARIS-. Con Carlos Alcaraz raising the Musketeers Cup and Jannik Sinner installed on the throne of ATPthe recently finished Roland Garros confirmed the transfer of powers in world tennis, after two decades of overwhelming dominance of the ‘Big 3’.
In recent months, both the Spaniard (21 years old) and the Italian (22) have demonstrated their talent on all surfaces: Alcaraz on Sunday became the youngest tennis player in history to win three Grand Slams on three different surfaces ( hard, grass and dirt); Sinner is the first Italian to be number 1 in the ranking.
“I think my game adapts to all surfaces, because I train for it. Drop shots, volleys… I have always wanted to have an aggressive game. That’s why I think my game also adapts to grass naturally” Alcaraz explained.
In 2022, on the grass at Wimbledon, both tennis players have already given a preview of what their rivalry may become in the years to come.
Then the Italian won in the round of 16. A few weeks later they met again in the quarterfinals of the US Open, with victory for the Spaniard, who a few days later won his first Grand Slam and became the youngest No. 1 in history.
In the head
At that time, Nadal seemed to have begun a slow path towards retirement (not yet official after his elimination in the first round at Roland Garros against subsequent finalist Alexander Zverev) and Djokovic was far from wanting to abdicate.
Quite the contrary, the Serbian recovered the No. 1 and won three Grand Slam tournaments again, taking his record to 24.
But this year things have accelerated. Sinner, who already finished 2023 in great shape, had a fantastic start to the season, winning his first major in Australia, while Alcaraz demonstrated his superiority at Roland Garros.
Wimbledon, which will begin in three weeks, will be the third major event of the tennis season, which this year will also include the Paris Games.
The Spaniard already knows what he can perform on grass after winning the Queen’s tournament last year and, above all, his first Wimbledon, defeating a Djokovic in a tremendous five-set final who had been unbeaten at the All England Club since the quarterfinals. end of 2017…
Alcaraz is convinced that a good part of his title in Paris is due to his mentality: “If you are weak in the head, even if you play the best tennis of your life, it will be difficult for you to win a Grand Slam.”
“Almost impossible” goal
Without yet being completely comfortable on earth, Sinner was able to reach the semifinals and lose in five sets to Alcaraz. Despite the disappointment of the defeat, the Italian only saw positive things about his journey in Paris, a year after his elimination in the second round.
Definitely recovered from his hip, Sinner is “looking forward” to getting back on the grass.
“Last year, I had a very good Wimbledon. I’m happy to be back,” said the Italian, who last year reached the semifinals in London, losing to Djokovic.
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AFP / Thomas COEX
After years of doubts and already recovered from the serious ankle injury he suffered in Paris two years ago, the German Alexander Zverev also seems capable of competing with Sinner and Alcaraz, although he is a little older than them (27 years old) and is still some way off. hunting for his first Grand Slam.
After passing up the opportunity in Paris, it does not seem that he will achieve his first major at Wimbledon, where he never made it past the round of 16.
In his favor is the fact that he was the first young man to dare to question the dominance of the ‘Big 3’ (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic) when he won the ATP Masters in 2018 and reached second place in the ATP in 2022, despite the fact that his other greatest achievement in the majors is “only” the US Open final lost in 2020 against the Austrian Dominic Thiem.
The advantage for Sinner and Alcaraz is that, unlike all the other glory-hungry youngsters on the circuit, they already know what it’s like to win a Grand Slam.
After his meniscus operation after being injured in the quarterfinal match at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic’s participation in Wimbledon, a tournament he won 7 times, is an unknown, which may increase Sinner and Alcaraz’s chances of increasing their tally. .
All tennis fans hope that the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz can one day reach that of the members of the ‘Big 3’, despite the fact that the Italian rejects being compared to the magical trio that ruled the men’s circuit for more. of two decades.
For his part, Alcaraz has shown his desire to win 24 Grand Slam titles like Djokovic, although he considers this goal “almost impossible.”
Source: AFP
