After five hours and 29 nerve-jangling, muscle-burning minutes, Carlos Alcaraz fired a down-the-line forehand winner and collapsed to the clay, his hands covering his eyes in disbelief. This wasn’t just any final. It was Carlos Alcaraz versus Jannik Sinner, the two young stars who’ve lit up the men’s tour with electric tennis and ice-cold nerves. And in the end, it was the 22-year-old Spaniard who edged his 23-year-old rival in five thrilling sets to claim his fifth Grand Slam title. But after such a classic, did Mats Wilander perhaps get a bit carried away?

Let’s rewind a bit. For two decades, men’s tennis belonged to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. The Big Three scooped up a jaw-dropping 66 Grand Slam titles between them and dominated the sport with a relentless grip. But the tide has shifted. Federer called it a career in 2022, and Nadal followed suit last season. That leaves the 38-year-old Djokovic as the last titan standing. He made it to the semifinals in Paris this year, but he’s hinted that his finish line is approaching fast.

Naturally, the comparisons came as well. The duo has now combined to win seven of the past eight majors. A neat coincidence? He did it at the exact same age Rafael Nadal won his fifth: 22 years, one month, and three days. All signs point to a new dawn on the horizon.

And Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam winner himself, and three-time Roland Garros champion, isn’t holding back when it comes to Alcaraz and Sinner. “I’ve watched Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play some incredible finals, but none come close to Sunday’s at Roland Garros. I thought it was impossible for anyone to play at that pace. It’s not human.”

That’s some high praise. For context, Carlos Alcaraz now has five majors, while Sinner owns three. Nadal, the undisputed King of Clay, retired with 22 Slams, 14 of those at Roland Garros. Federer retired with 20 Grand Slam trophies, each one a testament to his consistency and grace. But even Sinner knows it’s too early for Big Three-level talk. “Oh, it takes time. It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no?” he said. “I think only time can tell, to be honest. For sure, from my point of view, he’s a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. … This could be potentially one of these, but there are amazing players coming up. There can be so many different and other players join or one drops. You never know.”

And leave it to Federer to sum it up with a touch of elegance. “3 winners in Paris today,” he wrote, naming Alcaraz, Sinner, and “the beautiful game of tennis. What a match!”

And we have hopefully many more of these matches in store!

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz take their rivalry to Wimbledon

There’s no denying Carlos Alcaraz is shaping up to be one of the sport’s rare gems. He’s now won five Grand Slam titles at 22—matching the pace set by Nadal, Pete Sampras, and Bjorn Borg. And when it comes to finals? He’s 5-0. Only Federer had a better start, with a 7-0 streak.

Sinner isn’t too far behind in the greatness conversation. Tuesday marks a full year since he first claimed the World No.1 spot. He’s reached the final in his last eight tournaments, something not seen since Djokovic did it over a decade ago. He’s taken home three Slams and has won 47 of his last 50 matches. But here’s the twist: each of those three losses came at the hands of Alcaraz. That kind of pattern might sound familiar to those who remember the days when Federer kept mowing down the field, only to be stopped by Nadal time and again.

And now, their paths seem destined to cross again. Wimbledon kicks off on June 30, and Carlos Alcaraz returns as the two-time defending champion. Last year, he took down Djokovic in the final. The Italian, meanwhile, made it to the quarterfinals but fell to Daniil Medvedev. His best finish came in 2023, when he reached the semifinals before losing to Djokovic.

With the grass season looming and both men peaking, another chapter of their rivalry might be just around the corner. Are we watching the birth of tennis’s next great rivalry?  What do you think?