Ex-tennis star who played against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic has two new favorites
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are considered the greatest trio in men's tennis - but they may have met their match in Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
The perennial tennis question arises once more: Who is the greatest—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic?
Preferences vary widely, with some admiring Federer's graceful play, others awed by Nadal's tenacity on clay, and many impressed by Djokovic's near-universal prowess.
However, recently one former elite player hinted that 'The Big Three' might be dethroned by the sport's up-and-coming stars, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
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Robin Soderling, himself a former world number four who has faced all three of the legendary trio, took to Instagram to express his admiration for the young talents after their remarkable showdown at the French Open.
Soderling's post expressed amazement: "When you thought tennis had reached its highest potential with the Big Three. These guys just took it to the next level."
His bold take sparked mixed reactions online. A user with the moniker @Big3Tennis retorted: "It was an insane level but man I think some people need to do a rewatch of old Big Three matches."
Another commenter, @justfarhtk, disagreed vocally: "Nadal would have won in 3 against both of them in Roland Garros. Your statement is ridiculous."
And a different user, @iamsteven_ig, dismissed Soderling's opinion with skepticism: "Ok we got it you were sad losing so many time against the big 3 but come on next level?"
Twitter user @jd_767 wasn't having any of it, reminding everyone: "Dude don't be quick to forget. Rewind to 2012 AO final. It was a better level than this was."
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Despite some pushback, tennis legend John McEnroe supported Soderling's view, suggesting that Sinner and Alcaraz could have given the Big Three a run for their money at their peak. McEnroe remarked: "You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best.
"Do I think they're gonna reach 20, 24 [Grand Slam titles] - either one of them? No, because that plateau is so hard. But these two guys right now, it's like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan."
With the grass season ahead, all eyes are turning towards Wimbledon, where Alcaraz is gunning for an unprecedented feat as a Spaniard by aiming for three consecutive championships, already boasting two titles under his belt.
