Casper Ruud has reignited debate over whether Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner should be compared to the Big Three.
However, he has taken a rather controversial standpoint, particularly given the fact that he is uniquely positioned to draw similarities.
After all, he played eight times against the Big Three, and has continued to be plagued by the ‘New Two’ without a break.
Casper Ruud is certain that the comparisons are valid, and has actually explained where he thinks Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are actually better than Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Casper Ruud compares the Big Three to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Speaking to Tennis Magazin, because of this aforementioned unique position, he was asked to compare these generations.
And, whilst he obviously had plenty of admiration for the Big Three, the Norwegian tennis star has insisted that Alcaraz and Sinner deserve their place amongst these legendary figures.
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Ruud claimed: “The Big Three had an almost intimidating presence because of their history. Carlos and Jannik bring something different: incredible intensity, speed and courage.
“The game has evolved and you have to be prepared for a very physical and fast style. You can discuss all you want about the different times, but for me Sinner and Alcaraz hit the ball faster than the Big Three.”
Elsewhere, Mark Petchey recently compared the current top 20 to the Big Three era, fuelling this debate.
Patrick Mouratoglou’s controversial claims about the Big Three
The timing of this claim from Ruud is particularly interesting, given Patrick Mouratoglou has been in the news lately for his claims about the Big Three.
Speaking after Djokovic had beaten Sinner at the Australian Open, his first win over the Italian after losing his last five matches, the renowned tennis coach used this as an opportunity to explain how this sets the Italian apart.
He argued: “For those who think that Djokovic beating Sinner in the semi-final of the Australian Open means that the Big Three (Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer) is playing better tennis than Alcaraz and Sinner — this is a very short view.
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“Novak is not a better tennis player than Sinner, but he’s the biggest competitor in the history and he was better than Jannik Sinner on that match.”
This drew ridicule from plenty, with even Nadal and Andy Murray reacting with laughter.
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