Novak Djokovic says Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz battle is perfect for tennis, but 'not really comparable' to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal rivalries
Published 05/11/2025 at 20:23 GMT
Novak Djokovic believes that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner still have some way to go to emulate his tussles with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The pair are currently the stand-out players on the ATP tour, with Sinner reclaiming the World No. 1 spot at the weekend. Djokovic admits he sees both of them as rivals, but believes they need a few more years at the top to match the Big Three era.
Jannik Sinner of Italy (R) and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain share a joke after receiving their trophies after the Men's Single's Final
Image credit: Getty Images
The pair are locked in a back-and-forth battle to be the men's world No. 1, a position Sinner reclaimed by lifting the Paris Masters title.
That meant Alcaraz was relegated to second, but he boasts a 10-5 win record against his Italian foe, most recently prevailing in four sets at the US Open final in New York.
Their meeting at Flushing Meadows was the third successive Grand Slam final in which they have come face-to-face.
Djokovic hopes the pair enjoy many more battles for years to come, but also thinks their fight for supremacy is incomparable to the tussles he used to enjoy with two of the sport's greats.
"I've spent most of my career with my two greatest rivals, [Rafael] Nadal and [Roger] Federer," he told the ATP website.
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Moment: Tearful Djokovic pays tribute to late coach Pilic
Video credit: SNTV
"Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are also my rivals at the moment, but they're so young. I have 15 years of difference on the tour with them!
"Our rivalry is a few years old, and I've had 20 years of rivalry with the other guys.
"It's not really comparable, but it's great that there's a new big rivalry in our sport between Sinner and Alcaraz."
Djokovic has more Grand Slam singles titles than any other male player, with his 24th crown coming at the US Open in 2023.
That put him two clear of Nadal, while Federer's final major was the Australian Open in 2018.
Sinner and Alcaraz therefore have some way to go to catch the trio, given they sit on four and six Grand Slams respectively.
They have, though won each of the last eight Grand Slams between them, and Djokovic added: "They've been playing some incredible matches in the last 18 months.
"Hopefully they can keep going, because that's what our sport needs."
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Djokovic himself has won just one tournament this season; an ATP 250 event in Geneva in May, but did reach the last four of each of the Grand Slams.
That, coupled with a slimmed-down schedule, means he has lost his spot at the top of the world rankings.
Sinner now sits top of the tree, and Djokovic has revealed what it's like to be the best player on the planet.
"It feels great, but it also feels a bit lonely," he said. "You feel like you are the hunted one. It changes the perception and the approach.
"Obviously it's the ultimate achievement. Being No. 1 in any sport in any achievement is the ultimate achievement.
"It's something that I dreamed of when I was a kid; winning Wimbledon and being No. 1 in the world.
"When you achieve that, you understand then that there is a different dimension and approach of staying there.
"You all of a sudden have to defend the position, rather than chasing it.
"It's a great feeling, obviously, but at the same time, you want to stay there, so you feel a little bit defensive at times, because you want to hold on to it.
"It's really about the mentality of how you approach it. I think it's important to always feel like you have to create and keep going and keep winning and you're a part of the same group of the people who are chasing something, a title or a position.
"Once you're thinking about 'I'm the No. 1, everyone wants to take this position away from me', you create this unnecessary stress and pressure on yourself."
Djokovic is currently competing at the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship in Athens.
He is the top seed in Greece and will face Nuno Borges in the quarter-finals after beating Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets in the second round.
It remains to be seen whether Djokovic will compete at the ATP Finals in Turin later this month. Prior to that, he reflected on some of his all-time favourite matches.
He said: "The finals of the Australian Open in 2012 against Nadal is the longest Grand Slam final ever, and against Roger in 2019 the finals of Wimbledon.
"Those were the best matches that I was a part of, but the best match that I ever played would be probably the finals of Australian Open against Nadal in 2019. The level of tennis was really high."
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