There’s been plenty of conversation surrounding the future of men’s tennis since Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray retired, with Novak Djokovic likely heading in that direction sooner rather than later. Will men’s tennis be able to deliver in the same ways it has for the past 20-plus years?
Over the past few years, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz have proven to be the start of an answer to that unresolved question.
The last six majors have been won by either Sinner or Alcaraz, and they are the two favorites to capture the upcoming U.S. Open. Djokovic is still in the mix of course, but at 38, his major tournaments are numbered.
It’s an exciting time in men's tennis, even if it seems terrifying from an interest standpoint for every member of the Big Four to soon be out of the game. Former tennis star and three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport opened up in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated about her thoughts on the state of men’s tennis stands, with Sinner and Alcaraz leading that charge.
As someone who played alongside Federer, Nadal and even Serena Williams at the heights of their respective careers, Davenport has seen plenty of impressive tennis players over the years, so she knows a superstar when she sees one.
“We had a lot of concerns in tennis when we knew that the Federer, Nadal, Serena [Williams] era—Djokovic is still playing obviously—but it was coming to an end. How do you replace the greatest of all times in our sport?” Davenport says. “Tennis just doesn’t miss a beat. It just keeps on going. Now we have Sinner and Alcaraz, and two players who are now bringing this rivalry to the next level in how they compete, and also how they conduct themselves off the court.”
While working at Tennis Channel, where every tournament is covered in-depth, Davenport has been able to watch firsthand the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz elevate over the past couple years.
Earlier this year, Sinner and Alcaraz competed in the French Open and Wimbledon finals, with Alcaraz winning at Roland Garros and Sinner returning the favor at the All England Club. The five-set French Open final was regarded as one of the best matches in recent history, and possibly of all-time—even compared to some of the greatest matches between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Davenport agrees that the 2025 final at Roland Garros was one for the history books.
“We saw some of the greatest grand slam finals of all-time. Pick one—Nadal and Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, Federer and Djokovic. And, yet, we just watched the Roland Garros final between Sinner and Alcaraz and it was going down as one of the best matches of all time,” Davenport says. “It’s pretty remarkable how these two have been able to step in and somehow elevate the sport another step up. … We enjoy covering them, it’s so fun. At Tennis Channel, we’re like cheating it seems like to be able to cover them week in and week out at these tournaments and to see what they improve on.”
The Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry is just beginning. There’s a good chance we’ll see round three between the two stars in a final either at this week’s Cincinnati Open or at the U.S. Open later this month. They’re the two players to beat right now on the men’s side, so we’ll see if any other upcoming superstars are able to add their names to the mix in the future.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Lindsay Davenport Believes Sinner vs. Alcaraz Rivalry Has Taken Torch From 'Big Four'.
