In 2021, the tennis world took notice as the prodigious talent from Murcia, Carlos Alcaraz, announced his arrival on the grandest stage by capturing the US Open title at just 19. His meteoric ascent prompted Roger Federer a year later to declare, “I always said there would be more superstars. He’s one of them.” Even Rafael Nadal foresees Alcaraz etching his name among the greats, stating he “doesn’t see many players that can stop” his future dominance. The 24-time Grand Slam winner, Novak Djokovic, previously identified Alcaraz as “one of the leaders of the sport” poised to shape its future. The burning question now is: Can Alcaraz ever truly rival the enduring legacy of the ‘Big 3’?
Talking about the 21-year-old and comparing it with the dominance of the ‘Big 3’, Djokovic said, “There was domination, obviously, from Rafa on clay, or Roger on grass, me on hard court would win, whatever, three, four years in a row, Indian Wells, Miami, back-to-back. But that also came, for me personally, that level of I guess dominant tennis and achievements, when I was 23, 24 years old, and then after that. So between, let’s say, 23 and 33 is when it was really happening,” via Madrid Press.
He further added, “And now Carlos is still not 23. We have to remember that his age and what he has done for his age is not also normal. I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of him on the big stage with trophies in the future in whatever, 10 years, 15 years, as long as he’s playing.”
Djokovic on The Big Three’s dominance and Carlos Alcaraz, ‘Carlos is still not 23.. We have to remember that what he has done for his age is also not normal’
“You were saying Carlos and his level is already where you guys were or something. In terms of injuries and things like… pic.twitter.com/jLeLfDj4QN
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 25, 2025
Not only Djokovic, there are several other legends like Mats Wilander who have often drawn a comparison of the ‘Big 3’ with generational talents like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Wilander believes these guys are “following in the footsteps of the ‘Big 3’ in terms of level.” What does Alcaraz have to say about all these comparisons, though?
In June 2024, during an interview, Alcaraz shared his thoughts on being compared with the ‘Big 3’. “I have seen videos, but with some highlights, I cannot compare myself to them when they were my age. But it doesn’t matter what I have achieved at this age if I stagnate here. I want to continue growing in my career and get to where Djokovic, Rafa, and Federer are. The good ones and the greats have continued to improve in their careers until they are still 37 and 38-years-old,” he had said.
In sports, there always comes a time when the chapter is closed, the torch is passed, and a new era is born. Talking about the ‘Big 3’ era, only Novak Djokovic now stands tall among the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner. How does the Serb look at this?
How Novak Djokovic is “trying to stay there”
The 37-year-old Serbian is now keen to get back to his title-winning track at the Spanish capital. It has been a long wait for him to witness his 100th ATP Tour title. Can the three-time champion make the most of his chances with the absence of Carlos Alcaraz (withdrew due to an injury)?
During a recent interview at the Madrid Open, he spoke about the changing landscape of the ATP Tour and where he fit into it. “You can feel there’s a shift. Not only in terms of the generations of players [who now have] the main focus and attention, but I guess it takes a little bit of time for people to accept the fact that Roger and Rafa are not playing, and Murray, and I guess one day myself, but I’m still trying to stay there and represent the older guys, the older generation.”
Novak Djokovic is entering this tournament following his shocking first-round exit from the Monte Carlo Masters. What is going to be the approach in the next few weeks? “The priority is obviously trying to take the level of tennis that currently is maybe not where we want it to be to the higher level, so that I can peak at [the] French Open. That’s where I really want to play my best tennis, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.”
Djokovic has arrived in Madrid a bit early and has also been putting in a lot of hard yards in training. He intends to reach his desired level in this tournament, but at the same time, he admits he doesn’t really have high expectations and all he now wants is to overcome his first hurdle and take it on from there. He’s going to face Italy’s Matteo Arnalidi in his first match. Do you think Djokovic can get a winning start in Madrid?
The post Novak Djokovic Labels Rival Carlos Alcaraz’s Achievements as “Not Normal” as He Draws in Big 3 Reference appeared first on EssentiallySports.