“To put Alcaraz and Sinner in the same group as Federer, Nadal, Djokovic is difficult” – Mouratoglou

Everyone loves a superhero and for distinguished tennis fans, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic played that role in the past two decades. On the horizon, however, there are two new protagonists, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, promising to rule the courts the same way the Big Three did.

Between 2003 and 2023, a total of 66 Grand Slam finals went Federer (20), Nadal (22), and Djokovic’s (24) way, with the Serbian being a contender for more in the near future. Thus far, Alcaraz and Sinner have collected six Major trophies combined.

Famed tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou seems to agree with the notion that the youngsters are capable of producing similar exploits but denies putting them in the same bag as the Big Three when it comes to the styles of play.

I think they have completely different tennis, to put them in the same group [as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic] is difficult.”

Patrick Mouratoglou

“Yes they are the two best by far at the moment and Carlos can do anything,” Mouratoglou told Tennis365. “Everything he does he does it perfectly. Forehand is unbelievable, backhand, I don’t see any weakness in that backhand. He can play flat, slice, his drop shots are incredible, his net play is incredible, he can serve and volley, he serves incredibly well for a guy of his height and physically he’s a beast.

“Then Sinner is a machine. He does less things and at the moment he’s trying to add new weapons to his game. He’s not as good as Carlos in many fields but what he does, he does is unbelievable. Taking time away from the opponent, taking the ball early, hitting the ball incredibly hard, with so much security because he doesn’t miss and movement is amazing, that’s crazy.”

The Frenchman, who’s working with former world No 1 Naomi Osaka, added that Alcaraz and Sinner have more to their games than just power hitting.

“Do they hit the ball harder than the Big Three? Maybe, it’s possible,” he added. “I wouldn’t define them like that. Alcaraz and Sinner are much more than just hitting the ball hard.”

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