The era of The Big Three has given way to the era of The Big Two, and for Alcaraz and Sinner the world is their oyster, says Partab Ramchand. They are so far ahead of the rest of the field that it is difficult to see anyone else coming even close during 2026, he is convinced, and points out that because of the number of intense, exciting and extended rivalries that tennis has seen over the years, the popularity of the game has increased manifold
Rivalries make any sport that much more interesting and in this regard tennis has shown the way perhaps more than any other sport. There have been any number of intense, exciting and extended rivalries and the popularity of tennis has increased manifold because of this.
Just consider the following. Over the last half a century, there have been two or three all-time great players vying at the same time for the top ranking and Grand Slam titles, besides notching up other feats. During the 1970s and 80s, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe thrilled spectators both with their dazzling game and intense rivalry. From the mid 1980s to the early 90s, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker were engaged in an engrossing duel for supremacy. In the 1990s, Pete Sampras stayed just ahead with his then record of 14 Grand Slam titles, but Andre Agassi and Jim Courier saw to it that he didn’t have things all his own way.
And, of course, in the New Millennium, we had the rivalry to end all rivalries. For about 20 years, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic occupied the No. 1 ranking for a fair length of time besides setting new records in winning Grand Slam titles. The trio presided over arguably the sport’s greatest era as interest in tennis reached at an all-time high. With players of the calibre of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic involved in a fascinating duel for supremacy, this was no surprise.
And going by what we have seen in the last couple of years, there is another rivalry that is brewing which augurs well for the future of the sport. Already, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the game so much that they have shared the last eight Grand Slams between themselves, besides taking over the No. 1 ranking alternately. Sinner and Alcaraz have won four each during 2024 and 2025 with the latter winning two more – in 2022 and 2023. For the first time since the Open era, which dates back to 1968, the same two players contested three successive Grand Slam finals this year.
For two such prodigiously gifted players to appear at the same time and to start a new rivalry, just as the one involving the Big Three had ended, is a shot in the arm for tennis. It is indeed boom time for the sport which now has an unprecedented following the world over. What is even more thrilling is the prospect that with Alcaraz (22) and Sinner (24) just embarking on their joint dominance, the tennis fan is keyed up for an extended duel for supremacy.
Yes, the era of The Big Three has given way to the era of The Big Two and for Alcaraz and Sinner the world is their oyster. They are so far ahead of the rest of the field that it is difficult to see anyone else coming even close during 2026. Now that the Grand Slams are over, the ATP Tour finals in November should provide further proof of their dominance. Sinner is the defending champion while Alcaraz’s best is a semifinal spot in 2023.
With all this, let us spare a thought for Djokovic. At 38, he still unexpectedly made it to the semifinals of the US Open and while his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title may remain unfulfilled, no one can question his never-say-die attitude, his remarkable fitness and his fierce competitive spirit. The fact that he is at No. 4 in the current ATP rankings is indicative of all these qualities
As far as the women’s game goes, there has been no dominant player since the exit of Serena Williams. Every now and then there appears a player who gives the impression of being the dominant personality but in reality the field has remained an open one ever since Serena left the scene. The Grand Slam titles have been shared while the person at the top of the rankings list keeps changing quite often. Among the current stars, Iga Swiatek leads the honours list with six Grand Slam titles. Aryna Sabalenka, the current World No. 1, thanks to her recent triumph at the US Open, has four. Coco Gauff, who is ranked No. 3, one spot behind Swiatek, has two such titles. Naomi Osaka has four but her last was in 2021, so it is safe to say that her best is behind her. So, not only is it an open field, there is no real rivalry to maintain a high level of interest as is the case with the men’s game.
(The writer is a veteran sports writer who spent his career working for The Indian Express and The Telegraph and Sportsworld. He lives in Chennai.)
from Webdoux