TENNIS
Is 2024 the official start of the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner era in tennis?
With none of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic winning a Grand Slam for the first year since 2002, there has been a changing of the guard.
For the first time since 2002, the year before Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam, none of the the big four men’s tennis tournaments were claimed by the Swiss, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in 2024. The era of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has officially begun.
Who won the four Grand Slams in men’s tennis in 2024?
The Spaniard and Italian has shared this year’s four Slams, winning two apiece. Sinner was victorious at the Australian Open at the start of the year and dominated home favourite Taylor Fritz to take the US Open.
In between, Alcaraz won the French Open at Roland-Garros, where he defeated Sinner in the semifinals, and his second Wimbledon.
The ‘Big Three’ look to have transformed into a ‘Big Two’. With world No. 1 Sinner only 23 and Alcaraz two years his junior, they are expected to be the men to beat, and go head-to-head with one another, in the latter stages of Grand Slams for many years to come.
Jannik Sinner’s “very important step”
In Melbourne, Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev, who he also beat in the quarterfinals in New York, in the Australian Open final to take his first ever major, which many believed would be only a matter of time.
The Italian, though, suffered a number of injury issues in 2022, which hampered his progress. Sinner took things up a notch last year, finishing as runner-up in the ATP Finals and playing a starring role as Italy won the Davis Cup.
He revealed after winning his first Slam in Australia that he started believing he could reach the very top during the 2023 season. “Two years ago, I got to know my body and my team better. That was a very important step for me. Last year, we tried to get better results. I think that made me believe that I can compete against the best players in the world”.
The 23-year-old bookended 2024 in perfect fashion by winning the US Open, the year’s other hard-court Grand Slam, which allows his game, defined by his quick pace and vicious forehand, to shine.
What is the head-to-head record between Alcaraz and Sinner?
Clay and grass, which favour more variety, are Alcaraz’s territory. For now, at least. The pair’s clash of styles adds an extra dimension to their rivalry.
The Spaniard defeated the Italian in the semifinals of the French Open and was full of praise for his opponent: “This has probably been one of the toughest matches of my career. Several of them have been against Jannik, which shows what a great player he is and the team he has, the great work he does every day. I hope to play many more matches like this against him”.
In head-to-head meetings, Alcaraz leads 5-4 and won both encounters in 2024, the other one coming in the semifinals in Indian Wells.
What next for Alcaraz and Sinner?
With no more Grand Slams left to play for this season, the Shanghai and Paris Masters are the biggest events left on the schedule before the ATP Finals. Alcaraz and Sinner have been less dominant in Masters 1000 events this year, but have enjoyed success nevertheless.
The Spaniard won in Indian Wells, with the Italian emerging victorious in Miami and Cincinnati. Stefanos Tsitsipas (Monte Carlo), Andrey Rublev (Madrid) Alexander Zverev (Rome) and Alexei Popyrin, in Canada, complete the list of winners.
The fact Djokovic, who won the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, has neither won a Grand Slam nor a Masters 1000 event (yet) this year is another sign of a changing of the guard. The likes of Zverev (27) and Medvedev (28) had hoped to step into the breach but look to have been comfortably overtaken, while Holger Rune, tipped to be part of the next ‘Big Three’ has regressed in 2024, dropping to 14 in the world. Other even younger talents may emerge, but Alcaraz and Sinner are set to stay at the top for some time to come.