What Brad Gilbert thinks the top 10 all time are and why Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz don't inhabit the list
ATPThursday, 16 July 2026 at 17:03
For many, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are already the shining beacon of their generation but how do they figure in the all-time debate. Brad Gilbert, former coach of Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff among others says that while they have potential to be up on that list they aren't yet.
Gilbert spoke on Tennis Channel and said that they likely will join the list but that he currently ranks even lesser greats ahead of Sinner and Alcaraz. Sinner leads the ATP Rankings while Alcaraz is out injured but both are way ahead of the pack in terms of current wins.
In particular he said that of course the Big Three rank way ahead of Sinner and Alcaraz, but he also added other players such as Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver as well as Agassi, McEnroe, Connors and Lendl.
“Okay, provided they [Alcaraz and Sinner] both stay healthy and do a lot more, they’re going to be high up on the list. But at the moment, you know, they are not in the top 10,” he said on Tennis Channel.
“Number one, obviously, is Novak [Djokovic], Rafa [Nadal] number two, Fed [Roger Federer] number three, Pete [Sampras] four, [Bjorn] Borg five, [Rod] Laver six,” he said.
“Then seven through 10. I mean, this is heavy company, but a lot of people will mix this around. I got Andre [Agassi] at seven. I got John [McEnroe] at eight because of his insane doubles resume. I got [Jimmy] Connors at nine. I got [Ivan] Lendl at 10,”
Why Sinner and Alcaraz aren't even in top 10
But not only those players. He also ranks the likes of Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe above that. He said that neither despite recency bias are currently in that frame.
Of course this list is also missing Andy Murray who was part of the so called Big Four with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. So where he places remains to be seen. But Sinner and Alcaraz either way don't figure on the list.
“And if you think that like oh, they should be right next to them, you still got 11 through 14-15: [Mats] Wilander, [Stefan] Edberg, [Boris] Becker, [Ken] Rosewall, [John] Newcombe, lots of guys through that first 15 for me.”
Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 ATP Finals
But he said that once they end up on double figures each and have longevity that they can be figured in that conversation down the line. They are projected to both collect more and more titles but for Gilbert as of right now. That isn't coming true.
“But once they both get to, eight to 10 and double figures [for Grand Slams] and have longevity, they will be moving up. But if they don’t, either one of them doesn’t do anything more, I can’t put them on the list.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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