“I doubt they will win every Grand Slam tournament in the next ten years”: Dominic Thiem sees cracks in Sinner-Alcaraz dominance

Dominic Thiem recently weighed in on the current rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have dominated Grand Slam tournaments over the past couple of seasons. However, Thiem expressed doubt that this signifies absolute dominance for them over the next decade.

The Austrian is one of the few players who can boast a Grand Slam title during the peak era of the Big Three. He achieved this at the 2020 US Open, defeating Alexander Zverev after coming back from two sets down and multiple breaks in the subsequent three sets. The former world No. 3 lost three major finals – against Rafael Nadal (French Open 2018, 2019) and Novak Djokovic (Australian Open 2020).

After being a protagonist in major tournaments for about five years – always a contender and a threat to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic – Thiem suffered several injuries that kept him off the courts. Although he managed to return to the top level for a final couple of seasons, he never truly managed to compete at the level he had shown previously, and it all ended with his retirement in 2024.

While enjoying his retirement, Thiem gave an interview to Cronache di Tennis, where he reviewed the current state of the Tour, which sees Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as clear dominators. The recent French Open and Wimbledon finals definitively confirmed that both are – by a significant margin – the best players in the world.

Thiem closely followed what happened in both Grand Slam finals. At the French Open, Alcaraz saved three match points and ultimately claimed the victory in 5 hours and 29 minutes in the 10-point super tie-break. A month later, Sinner got his revenge at Wimbledon – the venue that has been Alcaraz's best in his career – with the Italian securing his fourth Grand Slam title and first outside of hardcourts.

"The finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon were incredible," Dominic Thiem asserted. "They raised the level of the sport beyond what we were used to. They’re playing faster and faster, but they’re making fewer and fewer errors and moving better and better. I didn’t expect two more generational talents to come so quickly after the Big Three. And Novak [Djokovic] keeps playing."

However, Thiem doesn't believe they have guaranteed dominance for the next decade, as there are still several players who could surprise them. "Today, they have too much of a lead. But they can also lose: we saw it with Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon, or Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Jack Draper, if they play perfectly."

"I doubt they will win every Grand Slam tournament in the next ten years, but today they are way ahead of everyone," the 2020 US Open champion added. "I would have liked to play against Alcaraz and Sinner at the height of my career. I don’t know how it would have ended, but we would have had a lot of fun."

Thiem has plenty of arguments when it comes to Grand Slam performance. As the 2020 US Open champion and a three-time Grand Slam finalist – in addition to two other semifinals – the mere presence of the Big Three during the Austrian's prime prevented him from securing more major titles. He finished with a 75-36 record in these types of tournaments.

The former world No. 3 also won the 2019 Indian Wells title – defeating Roger Federer in the final – and accumulated a total of 17 titles, plus 12 runner-up finishes.

The Austrian ultimately bid farewell with a final tournament in front of his home crowd, who gave him a hero's send-off at the Vienna Open. He faced Luciano Darderi in the first round after receiving a wildcard and ended up losing in straight sets, bringing an end to his 13-year career.