As Novak Djokovic enters the twilight of his legendary career — with Roger Federer already retired and Rafael Nadal approaching the end — tennis fans have begun speculating on who will carry the torch for the next generation. Many believe Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are poised to take over that mantle. However, Alexander Zverev recently made a bold claim that positions the young stars as superior in one key area.
The World No. 3, who is one of the players to face all five athletes in question, ignited discussion when he suggested that Alcaraz and Sinner hit the ball harder than Djokovic, Federer, or Nadal ever did.
“Tennis has changed in the last few years and I’m not saying Alcaraz and Sinner are better or worse than the ‘Big 3’, but they just hit the ball harder and the game has become faster,” Zverev told Tennis365 during an interview.
According to Zverev, the modern game has evolved into a more physically demanding and explosive sport. A recent example is this year’s epic French Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner, which lasted a marathon 5 hours and 29 minutes — the longest men’s singles final in Roland Garros history.
Zverev reflects on generational shifts in men’s tennis
During the dominance of the Big Three, it was rare to see another player break through their reign. One exception was Andy Murray, who managed to win Wimbledon twice during their peak years. Zverev pointed to the increased competitiveness throughout the rankings as a key difference between eras.
“The big difference now is the depth at the top. We have champions all the way down to No.30 in the rankings and that wasn’t the case when I started,” he explained. “The top five in the world would not have really looked out for the guy who was No.25 and think he would be a problem when I started, but this has changed”.
Zverev added that while Alcaraz and Sinner currently lead the pack, the level of competition throughout the men’s tour is greater than ever. “Clearly, Carlos and Jannik are ahead of everyone at the top now, but the depth we have in the men’s game is different compared to when Roger, Rafa and Novak were dominating,” he added.