Comparing Sinner and Alcaraz to the Big Three - Australia's Kokkinakis weighs in

Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis believes it is ‘fair’ to compare Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz to the ‘Big Three’. Both youngsters are already regarded as two of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category.

The original ‘Big Three’ comprised three former world number ones: Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. The three players dominated men’s tennis in the singles category for over two decades.

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Federer retired from the sport in September 2022, whereas the legendary Spaniard retired from the game earlier this year after taking part in the Davis Cup. Ever since two out of three players retired, fans, pundits and even some current and former players looked at Italy’s Sinner and Spain’s Alcaraz as the perfect heir to the original ‘Big Three’.

Both players dominated men’s tennis in some style in 2024, sharing all four Grand Slams. Sinner won the Australian and the US Open, whereas Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon. The young Italian tennis star also won the ATP Finals on his home soil and helped his country defend the Davis Cup title as well.

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Some, however, have disagreed with the comparison of Sinner and Alcaraz, largely because of their young age and experience. Australia’s Kokkinakis has recently spoken to Tennis 365 where he stated that in his opinion, it is ‘fair’ to compare the two with ‘Big Three’. The 28-year-old was of the opinion that talent and ability, both players can be compared with some of the best in the games.

“I think it’s fair to compare them to the Big 3,” he said. “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. The stuff they can do is pretty special. The way Sinner and Alcaraz move… they are there with a prime Djokovic. They are going to be a the top for a very long time.”