A new era of Tennis rivalries has arrived

It’s funny how these things work out. On the French Open’s second day, Rafa Nadal, owner of 14 men’s titles in Paris, lost in the first round. By the time the competition ended, the heir apparent had announced himself in style. Carlos Alcaraz was thought to be the next in line as early as 2021.

By the end of that year, he had punctuated his ascendancy by winning the ATP Next Gen event. In 2022, he claimed the US Open. He backed it with Wimbledon 10 months later. On Sunday, the few remaining doubters also saw the light. Forget the future, the Spaniard is very much the present of men’s tennis.

Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who was replaced as the world no 1 during the tournament, remain on the circuit. But there can be no doubt that the baton has passed hands. The era of the Big Three is over and Alcaraz is the figurehead of the next gen. The generation will also contain the irrepressible talents of Jannik Sinner, who won the Australian Open earlier this year.

Alcaraz beat Sinner—the rivalry has a portmanteau, Sincaraz—in the semifinal, but just like the Big Three era, this rivalry will not be one-sided. Throw in the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, otherwise known as the Sandwich generation, and men’s tennis is in a healthy place right now.

With Djokovic nursing an injury and Nadal perhaps preferring to bow out at the Paris Olympics, you can make the case that Wimbledon 2024 could be the first Slam this century without the Big Three.

Considering that elite sport is cyclic, it’s fitting that women’s tennis is also seeing the birth of a new super-champion. Yes, Iga Swiatek had to save a match point in the second round, but there can be no doubt that she is on her way to becoming a Serena-Williams-like figure. At just 23, she has already won five majors, including four in Paris.

Interestingly, the next Big Three could come in the women’s sport, with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina identified as the two players capable of challenging Swiatek. We may even get to see at least one of those battles at Wimbledon, where Swiatek has traditionally been at her weakest. Buckle up, a new era is here.