As Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz continue to build on their already legendary careers, fans keep drawing parallels between them and the ‘big three’.
Dubbed the ‘new two’, Sinner and Alcaraz already have a total of 55 ATP titles between them, including a combined 11 major crowns.
The Italian, 24, has four Grand Slams to his name, while his Spanish rival has captured seven by the age of 23, which is as many as Mats Wilander and John McEnroe.
Will Jannik Sinner win more Grand Slams than Carlos Alcaraz in 2026?
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While it’s still a long way to go, Sinner and Alcaraz are both projected to claim as many majors as the ‘big three’ of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have 24, 20 and 22, respectively.
Many consider their level of tennis to be on par with the trio of legends, including former doubles Grand Slam champion Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Thanasi Kokkinakis discusses Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
As per Tennis 365, Kokkinakis said: “I have played them all, and I don’t feel personally like the ‘Big 3’ back in the day were any better than these two we’ve got now.
“I think tennis is always evolving. Of course, I would still say playing Nadal on clay is still the toughest challenge, but what Roger, Rafa and Novak did back in the day and what Alcaraz and Sinner are doing now, it’s amazing.
“It’s hard to pick who is the toughest to play against. Obviously, Djokovic has got all the records, but I think any one of those five on their day can beat anyone.”
Asked if Sinner and Alcaraz can win more than 20 majors individually, Kokkinakis replied: ‘It’s such a crazy figure to think about when you think of what can happen over the course of two weeks of a Slam.
How concerned are you about Jannik Sinner’s physical issues going forward in his career?
“You have matches that go against you, and you need to stick in there. Also, you can’t get sick, and you have to stay healthy.
“For Novak to win 24 Grand Slams, that’s just absurd. The tennis level is there for Alcaraz and Sinner to get there, but the consistency of the Big 3 was insane. We have to wait and see if these two can play for that long.
“Also, they will be battling each other for the next few years, so they will be sharing the titles around and we also have some pretty good young players coming through, so it’s an interesting time for men’s tennis.”
Jannik Sinner’s record against Carlos Alcaraz in 2026
Sinner and Alcaraz took their rivalry to a new level in 2025, competing in three different Grand Slam finals with each other.
They had their first clash in a Grand Slam title bout at Roland Garros, and then did battle again at Wimbledon and the US Open.
To cap off the year, the two faced off in the championship match at the ATP Finals, where Sinner came out on top in front of a home crowd.
This season, however, Sinner and Alcaraz have had just one matchup, which came at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
There, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in straight sets, and now trails in the head-to-head 10-7.
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