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For a number of years now, people have talked about the next generation of top male tennis players. You may have heard this group of players popularly referred to as the ‘Next Gen’. However, with guys like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal still dominating many of the top tournaments, I don’t think we can say just yet that the Next Generation has taken over. In fact, this may not happen for another year or two, in my humble opinion.
With that in mind, the discussion of ‘Next Gen’ ATP players has sparked another topic in recent times. Of course, we are all aware of the great rivalries of the last 20 years. The records and statistics associated with rivalries such as Djokovic vs Nadal, Nadal vs Federer, and Federer vs Djokovic all speak for themselves. And to be honest, we’ve been blessed to witness the epic battles between these guys over the years.
Yet with Roger Federer now retired and Rafael Nadal looking like a shadow of his former self, the topic of the next big rivalries in men’s tennis has inevitably entered the spotlight. Furthermore, with the upcoming match of Alcaraz vs Sinner in Indian Wells, I think now is the perfect time to address whether this could be the next ‘great’ rivalry on the ATP Tour.
So without further ado, let me share my thoughts on the subject right now.
Sinner vs Alcaraz – Why This Match-up Has the Potential to Be Legendary
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Before I give my thoughts on this topic, I should probably state that these aren’t the only players who enter this discussion. The ATP is loaded with other young guys who are highly promising. Just look at players like Holger Rune, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Lorenzo Musetti, Ben Shelton, and several others, and you’ll no doubt agree that the future of men’s tennis is bright.
But there are some specific reasons why I think that Alcaraz vs Sinner has the potential to evolve into something special – more so than other potential rivalries. Here’s why:
Their Age
Of course, for any rivalry to go on for more than 10 years, the players involved need to be similar in age. And that’s exactly what you get with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz is still a teenager at 19 years of age, and Sinner is just 21. Therefore, if they both stay fit and healthy, they could be competing against each other for another 10-15 years.
Their Game Styles
Another aspect that has to be considered when talking about epic rivalries is the game styles of the associated players. This is exactly why the rivalry of Nadal vs Federer was so exciting, as you had contrasting styles resulting in thrilling tennis. As for Sinner and Alcaraz, the Italian is certainly an ‘all guns blazing’ kind of player. In contrast, while Alcaraz can hit a huge ball, he can also grind from the back when he needs to.
Their Level of Success Already
The third ingredient to note here relates to their success on the ATP Tour so far. Carlos Alcaraz has already reached the top spot in the rankings and claimed his first Grand Slam title (2022 US Open). As for Jannik Sinner, with 7 career titles under his belt plus his current ranking of number 13, he is obviously quite spectacular too.
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