Andrey Rublev has openly acknowledged that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have pulled far ahead of the rest of the ATP field, distancing themselves from their competitors in a way that is becoming impossible to ignore. Yet the Russian insists that, despite their blistering rise, it is misguided to measure them against the legendary Big Three. The reason, he argues, has nothing to do with talent—and everything to do with how drastically the sport’s conditions have shifted.
For nearly twenty years, the men’s Grand Slam landscape was shaped, if not outright controlled, by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. Their reign defined an era: dozens of Majors, countless finals, and a level of consistency that seemed unbreakable. But tennis has entered a new chapter. Since the start of 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner have taken over the Slams with startling efficiency, capturing all eight of the Majors contested in that span.
In fact, the only Grand Slam final in the last two seasons that didn’t feature a showdown between the Spaniard and the Italian was the 2024 Australian Open, where Alexander Zverev broke through—only to be swept aside in straight sets by Sinner. Now, as the tour approaches 2026, both Alcaraz and Sinner sit comfortably at the top of the rankings, and most experts see them as overwhelming favorites to extend their dominance deep into the coming season.
Rublev, who has had plenty of firsthand experience facing both rising stars, has felt that power shift directly. He has only one win in five meetings with Alcaraz—a victory that came at the 2024 Madrid Masters. Against Sinner, his head-to-head record is slightly better, yet still grim: three wins overall, but just one victory in six matches since 2023.
To Rublev, their superiority is obvious.
“Carlos and Jannik are clearly way ahead of everyone else—full stop,” he told Tennis365. He described their approach as fearless, almost mechanical in its purity. They do not play with hesitation, he said, nor do they wait for opponents to falter. Instead, they execute their brand of tennis at every moment, regardless of the scoreline. That mindset, according to Rublev, is what sets them apart from the pack.
But admiration for their level doesn’t translate into agreeing with the growing narrative that Alcaraz and Sinner are on track to become the next Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Rublev pushed back strongly on that comparison, stressing that the eras are fundamentally incompatible.
“You can’t compare them,” he said. “Roger and Rafa played in a different time with completely different conditions. The sport now is far more modern—the courts play differently, the balls are different. Everything has changed. It’s just not the same sport in many ways, so comparisons don’t make sense.”
Rublev himself is no stranger to success, with 17 ATP titles to his name. Yet he also carries an unfortunate distinction: a winless 0–10 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals. Against Alcaraz and Sinner, that road is only getting tougher.
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