Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner proved themselves to be the two top stars on the ATP Tour in 2024.
Tennis fans spent years watching Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer dominate the sport, as the thought of anyone else on top became unthinkable.
2024 was the first year in 22, that no member of the so-called ‘big three’ picked up a Grand Slam title, as Alcaraz and Sinner took over.
Sinner won the Australian Open in January before picking up his second Major at the US Open in September, claiming the world number one ranking in the process.
On the other hand Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon titles, as he took his Grand Slam tally to four.
It looked like a real ‘changing of the guard’ moment, but even if Alcaraz and Sinner were to dominate the sport for the coming years, just how long would it take them to steal the ‘big three’s’ most unbeatable records?
How long will it take Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to break the ‘big three’s’ most unbeatable tennis records?
Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open titles
Starting with a record that most tennis fans agree will remain untouched, is Nadal’s 14 titles at Roland Garros.
An astonishing number that only becomes harder to believe the more you think about it.
Alcaraz got off the mark this year with his win against Alexander Zverev but still has a long way to go if he wants to take the record from his countryman.
Even if Alcaraz, or Sinner won the French Open consecutively for the next decade, they would still be a good way off the record.
- Carlos Alcaraz – Can break the record at the 2038 French Open (14 years time)
- Jannik Sinner – Can break the record at the 2039 French Open (15 years time)
If Sinner were to win the next 15 titles in Paris and claim the record, he would do so as a 37-year-old, not giving him too much room to maneuver, considering no man has won a Major title at that age in tennis history to date.
Novak Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam titles
Djokovic extended his record to 24 Major victories at the US Open in 2023, a number that seems insurmountable.
Alcaraz has won four Slams during his young career, whilst Sinner picked up two this year, as the pair remain quite a long way off the Serb.
The Spaniard and Italian could both win four consecutive Calendar Grand Slams, and that would still not be enough to take the record off Djokovic.
- Carlos Alcaraz – Can break the record at the 2030 Australian Open (six years time)
- Jannik Sinner – Can break the record at the 2030 Wimbledon tournament (six years time)
However, as it does seem somewhat unrealistic to expect Alcaraz to win the next 20 Grand Slam tournaments, it could yet be a long while until we see someone take Djokovic’s record away from him.
It would also be remiss to say that the 37-year-old may not finish on 24, as plenty of fans and pundits think he could still go on to add a few more Major trophies to his collection.
Roger Federer’s 103 ATP titles
Federer’s record of ATP titles won could stand for a long time, thanks to the century of titles he won during his 24 years on tour.
Since 2000, no one has won more than 12 titles in a year, and even if Alcaraz and Sinner matched that for seasons to come, they’d still have a long way to go.
- Jannik Sinner – Can break the record at the 2032 Australian Open (seven years time)
- Carlos Alcaraz – Can break the record at the 2032 Rotterdam Open (seven years time)
As Sinner leads Alcaraz in ATP titles won, 18-16 he could theoretically clinch the record just a few weeks earlier than his Spanish rival.
However, whilst we haven’t seen anyone win more than 12 titles in a season, hypothetically it would be possible for a player to win up to 35 ATP titles in a calendar year.
Whilst highly unrealistic, it would actually mean that Sinner and Alcaraz could take Federer’s record as soon as Summer 2027.
Novak Djokovic’s 428 weeks at world number one
No one has spent more weeks at world number one than Djokovic, who held the ranking for an astonishing eight years.
Alcaraz and Sinner have now both been ranked number one, but are a long way away from taking top spot from the Serb.
- Carlos Alcaraz – Can break the record in July 2032 (seven years time)
- Jannik Sinner – Can break the record in July 2032 (seven years time)
It would take the pair seven consecutive years at number one to reach 429 weeks and overtake Djokovic.
Despite being ahead of Sinner in weeks at number one, it would take the Spaniard at least a few months to regain top spot in the rankings, leaving them both with the opportunity to grab the record in July, seven years from now.
With all four records, it seems highly unlikely that Alcaraz or Sinner will be surpassing their legendary predecessors any time soon.
They are incredible talents in their own right, however, and perhaps they should be left to carve their own legacies on the ATP Tour, and not focus too much on chasing down these crazy records.
Alcaraz and Sinner will return to the ATP Tour at the Australian Open which begins on January 12.
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