Alcaraz and Sinner, but who else: Can there be a new Big Three of tennis?

Tennis today seems to be dominated by two generational talents: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. With the decline of the Big 3, who emerge as strong rivals to dispute the hegemony of tennis to these two superstars?

2024 has been all theirs, at least as far as Grand Slams are concerned. Both Alcaraz and Sinner split 2 majors each, leaving former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, for example, empty-handed after 7 years of winning at least one major tournament per season. With his retirement drawing ever closer, it may seem that we are approaching a period in tennis that will be largely led by young Europeans.

However, the future of the circuit may not be so clear-cut, as other emerging talents are beginning to attract attention and could challenge them in the coming years. Such is the case of Holger Rune and Ben Shelton. In addition, former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and German Alexander Zverev have several years of experience on the circuit and could be the ones to stop or at least slow down the Spanish and the Italian.

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Holger Rune and Ben Shelton appear on the horizon 

The Dane has shown impressive potential and has established himself as a constant threat, reaching the final stages of several important tournaments. He has not had the best 2024 after having a great season the previous year, but he is a candidate that for many will be in the fight from now on.

Another young player to consider is American Ben Shelton, whose powerful serve and boldness at the net make him a dangerous player. Although he still needs to improve his consistency, his natural talent, his strokes and the energy he displays on the court show that he has what it takes to compete against the current 1 and 2 of the ranking.

Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, the new old guard

Although he has had ups and downs, the Russian continues to gain experience and is technically one of the most solid players on the Tour. Medvedev has been a difficult opponent for both Sinner and Alcaraz and can be again if he finds his way to more consistency.

Despite the injuries that have plagued him, Zverev is still a talented player with a powerful serve and a solid competitive mentality. He needs to make the leap and win a Grand Slam to take that pressure off. If that were to happen we could see the best version of the German tennis player.

The competition is more alive than ever with a new rivalry that is just getting started. Are we witnessing the beginning of a "Big 2" with Sinner and Alcaraz as the absolute leaders of the circuit or will other players be able to enter the fray?

Holger Rune

@holgerrune2003

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