The dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour is showing no signs of stopping any time soon.
Dubbed the ‘new two’, either Alcaraz or Sinner has claimed every big title so far in 2026, with the Spaniard triumphing at the Australian Open and the Italian clinching all three Masters crowns.
They are placed comfortably at the top of the ATP rankings, both on points tallies north of 13,000, while third-placed Alexander Zverev trails way behind in third on 5,555.
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Several players have been tipped as the ‘third star’ to join Sinner and Alcaraz in a new-look ‘big three’, such as Joao Fonseca, Jack Draper and Ben Shelton, but none have managed to reach their level yet.
World number 15 Andrey Rublev is one of many to have been denied big titles by the two superstars, but he does not view their excellence in a negative way.
Andrey Rublev comments on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Asked about the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner in an interview with Spazio Tennis, Rublev said: “It’s not affecting me negatively.
“On the contrary, it gives me the belief that certain results are achievable. They give me hope: if they achieved it so early, it means that with the right approach and the right mindset, you don’t have to wait years to reach that level.
“The difference is that they just play tennis; the score or the round doesn’t matter. Sometimes I play tennis, and sometimes I hope: I hope to win the point, I hope the other player makes a mistake or double-faults.
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“I play with my thoughts; they play tennis. They have their thoughts too, but they are capable of overcoming them.”
Though he holds a losing record against them, Rublev has beaten both Alcaraz and Sinner before on the ATP Tour.
At the Madrid Open in 2024, the Russian came back from a set down to gain his first and only win over Alcaraz.
Against Sinner, Rublev has triumphed on three separate occasions, the most recent of which was at the 2024 Canadian Open.
Andrey Rublev says he feels much stronger at this point in his career
Rublev has recorded an impressive career in tennis so far, having clinched 17 tour-level titles, including two ATP Masters 1000 trophies.
But according to Rublev, his success was earned via a ‘toxic’ approach to the sport, which he has now abandoned.
“It certainly helped me get to where I am today… but it’s a toxic way of achieving goals,” explained the 28-year-old.
“At a certain point, you feel exhausted and emptier than before. I’ve squeezed everything I could out of that approach; now it’s about learning a new, healthier way of playing.”
So far in 2026, Rublev has made three semifinals, which he managed in Hong Kong, Doha and Dubai.
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