"We need a rivalry to be there" - Tomas Berdych chimes in on the future of tennis with the Big 4 era coming to an end

Several tennis fans have expressed nostalgia for the days of the Big 4 dominating the tennis circuit. However, former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych believes the ongoing rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could be the new trend going forward.

Alcaraz and Sinner shared all four Grand Slam titles in 2024, with the Spaniard winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon while the Italian prevailed at the Australian Open and US Open. The duo have been the men to beat at all major tournaments, with their highly-anticipated bouts always sure to deliver.

In an interview with Tennis Majors, Berdych spoke on the new generation of tennis stars. The retired Czech star admitted he would like to square up against the new crop of players.

"I think the game has changed, definitely," said Berdych. "I would say the game gets less creative. If you look at the Top 10 guys, you don’t see many differences between them. So that’s my point. I’m not saying if it’s good or bad. It’s how it is because it’s definitely a whole new generation that has basically taken over men’s tennis, and that’s the way they play and compete.
"And if you ask me if I would be able to play or if I would like to put my younger self against them, then I would definitely like to. It would also be a nice experience to play with all these guys. These comparisons are always very tough because they are not going to happen, so we can only debate about them. There are new guys and new styles, and let’s see how it will go.
"We need a rivalry to be there: it’s good for tennis. The biggest one so far is Alcaraz-Sinner, and only like that can they become better players. If there were only a Sinner, then it would be difficult to keep the motivation and anger in the game. So I think it’s good. I hope there will soon be another one and it will be a good time for tennis too."