The 1990s tennis players in men’s tennis were supposed to be the chosen ones. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev sit right at the center of this so-called sandwich generation. They were meant to take the baton from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Instead, they got stuck between legends who wouldn’t let go and teenagers who showed up ready to win. These ‘lost boys’ of tennis now find themselves watching Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominate the very future they were promised. But Tsitsipas believes the dominance won’t last too long.

Tsitsipas was once seen as the most likely to lead the next wave. But the Greek star has slowly slid out of the picture. His 2025 season hasn’t helped either. He dropped out of the ATP Top 20 in June. His year so far reads a modest 19-13, with the only highlight being a title win in Dubai. For a former Grand Slam finalist at both the 2021 Roland Garros and the 2023 Australian Open, he has failed to reach the third round in any of the Grand Slams this year.

In that same time, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have taken over the big stages. Between the two of them, they’ve split the last seven majors since the beginning of 2024. It’s no surprise that the comparisons to the Big Three are already flying. But Tsitsipas, who has played against both the old legends and the new threats, offered a different opinion.

“We will not be able to say that Sinner and Alcaraz are better than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic until they win the same number of tournaments, and for that it will take a lot of time,” he told Tennis 365, as reported by Sportklub. “What can now be said with great certainty is that the level of Jannik and Carlos is very high.”

And he’s not giving up on the idea that someone else could still rise. The 26-year-old said, “In the next five years, we will see new superstars with a different character than those who are currently at the top. That’s the way tennis works, in cycles. On the other hand, we can also say that Roger, Rafa, and Novak have raised a level that will not be easy to reach. They won many trophies.”

Carlos Alcaraz also doesn’t like the comparison.

Carlos Alcaraz shuts down Big Three Hype as Jannik Sinner rivalry heats up

It’s becoming hard to look away from the growing fire between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Ranked one and two in the world, Italy and Spain’s biggest tennis stars are giving fans a modern rivalry that actually lives up to the hype. And it’s not just about the wins; it’s about how they’re pushing each other to the edge.

They’ve now clashed in back-to-back Grand Slam finals. First came the French Open, which turned into an instant classic. The match stretched into the record books as the longest French Open final in history. Alcaraz saved three championship points to pull off a jaw-dropping comeback that had everyone gasping in disbelief. Then came Wimbledon. This time, it was Sinner’s turn to strike. He took down Alcaraz in four sets, snapping the Spaniard’s two-year reign on grass. A statement win, and maybe a little revenge. The parallels are obvious. Fans are already drawing comparisons to Federer-Nadal and Djokovic’s fiercest duels.

But not Alcaraz. “I don’t want people to call me Rafa’s successor,” the 22-year-old said in a chat with the Financial Times. “Tennis has always had great rivalries and great players. It’s a privilege that people look at our games that way, with such enthusiasm, but in the end we have no obligation to do what they have done, far from it. If you don’t stay strong in your ideals, in what you want, that pressure can eat you. You have to know how to differentiate. We try not to think about any pressure and least of all about doing what they did.”

Up next is the Cincinnati Open. It’s the last big stage before the US Open begins. For Alcaraz, it’s a chance to level things up again. For Sinner, it’s about defending his crown. With each match, they’re shaping a rivalry that stands on its own. Is there room for a third, though?