Pablo Carreno Busta thinks it’s premature to declare that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic and “reign for the next 20 years.”
The former world No. 10 stated that he does not believe Alcaraz and Sinner would be the only players in the future, claiming other players will “make things difficult for them.”
The two biggest stars of their generation, Sinner and Alcaraz, have divided the four Grand Slam trophies this year.
Sinner captured his first major championship at the 2024 Australian Open and went on to win the US Open and Wimbledon. Alcaraz, meanwhile, completed his Grand Slam career with victories at the French Open and Wimbledon.
The only other ATP players to win a Grand Slam are the pair; Daniil Medvedev, the winner of the US Open in 2021, is the next-youngest major champion in men’s tennis at age 28.
In men’s tennis, some observers predict that Alcaraz and Sinner—who are 21 and 23 years old, respectively—will form a “Big Two” and rule the game in a manner reminiscent of the “Big Three” of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
Carreno Busta stated in an interview with Punto de Break that it is too soon to say that Sinner and Alcaraz will be unstoppable forces for the next twenty years.
“Carlos and Sinner are still very young,” the Spaniard remarked. “They are obviously very good, but we already believe that they will rule like Roger, Rafa, and Novak did for the next 20 years.”
It is difficult to sustain the level of success or the amount of demand for an extended period of time, as has happened this year with the four Grand Slams. Many things can go wrong.
“Other people may also arrive; for instance, a four-year-old really talented player may show up.
“I don’t think these two players alone will rule the future; there will be others who will complicate things for them, but it appears like these two will be around for a long time.”
Carreno Busta, who was sidelined by injury for a significant portion of the previous two years, also discussed the changes that occurred on the ATP Tour in his absence.
“Carlos has steadied himself, Sinner has made significant progress, and Novak is finding it harder to win. However, I’ve seen a significant difference in the remaining players, particularly those ranked 20 and lower,” he said.
“Players who were in the top 60 and 80 rankings when I left are now in the top 30. They were good players.”
Jordan Thompson, Alexei Popyrin, and Arthur Fils. They’re not where I left them, so I’ll have to play against them again to find out where they are (laughs).
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