“Their rivalry is going to get even better with time”: Feliciano López hails Sinner and Alcaraz as the faces of the post-Big 3 era

Davis Cup Finals director Feliciano Lopez spoke about the generational shift in men’s tennis, highlighting the emerging dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz while the last remnants of the Big 3 fade away. With Roger Federer retiring in 2022 and Rafael Nadal stepping away in 2024, only Novak Djokovic remains active at 37.

The former Spanish player was recently reappointed as the director of the Davis Cup Finals and continues to lead the Madrid Open, which is set to begin on 21 April, featuring all the sport’s biggest stars—except for Jannik Sinner, who will still be serving the final weeks of his suspension.

López was closely involved in Rafael Nadal’s farewell from the Davis Cup Finals last year in Málaga, where Spain was eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, marking the end of the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s career. This year will also be the first Madrid Open held after the retirement of the ‘King of Clay.’ Nadal remains the most decorated champion of the tournament with five titles (2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017). Djokovic and Federer each won three, while Andy Murray lifted the trophy twice.

Djokovic was the last Big 3 (or Big 4) member to claim the Madrid Open title back in 2019. Since then, the trophy has gone to Zverev (2021), Carlos Alcaraz (2022, 2023), and Andrey Rublev (2024). The shifting era is becoming increasingly evident, with new champions emerging across Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events.

“If we compare different eras... The last one was the greatest in tennis history, with three—almost four—absolute phenoms who would have dominated any other generation,” López said to 'Agencia EFE'. “If we try to compare everything to that, of course, it won’t look good. But we have Sinner and Carlos leading the sport worldwide, and their rivalry will only get better with time because both will continue improving. That’s what we should focus on.”

“Of course, we also need to appreciate the many great players outside of Sinner and Alcaraz. It’s a blessing for tennis that, as the Big 3 era ends and only Djokovic remains, these two phenoms have emerged. That’s what I would focus on.”

Lopez also downplayed criticism regarding Alcaraz’s supposed lack of consistency on tour. The 21-year-old has claimed back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles but has suffered early exits in multiple Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events since then.

“He’s a player who, at 21, has already won four Grand Slams, is healthy, has no major injuries, and has an incredible future ahead of him,” said the former world No. 12. “Honestly, Alcaraz only fills me with excitement because I know I have many years left to enjoy watching him.”

“People talk about inconsistency, but if we start listening to every comment, we’ll go crazy. Carlitos has an incredible personality, spectacular tennis, and he’s carving his own path. When he retires, people will debate whether he could have done more or whether he maximized his potential. In the end, it’s complicated. From my perspective, I’m just excited that I’ll get to enjoy watching him for many more years.”