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Mint
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
How Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner leapfrogged the generation after Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to conquer tennis
When Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner slugged it out for hours at the Roland Garros final in Paris last month, aside from the quality of play, the intensity of shot-making deep into the fifth set and sheer unpredictability, another aspect became strikingly clear. Sinner-Alcaraz have lapped an entire generation of tennis players, leaving them squished between two eras of dominance. In the first Grand Slam final between two men born in the 2000s, Alcaraz, 22, saved three match points to beat 23-year-old Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) at the French Open, two weeks ago. The quality of the match was such that player-turned-analyst John McEnroe told TNT Sports: 'I'm saying Sinner and Alcaraz against (Rafael) Nadal on clay—you would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal at his best." It was expected that when the greatest generation of male tennis players, including Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic, leave the sport, the next gen to take over would be the one immediately after. Mathematically, it meant players born in the 1990s, after the Big Three, who are all children of the 1980s. Federer quit the sport in 2022, Nadal last year. Djokovic is battling it out a little longer, while chasing his 25th Grand Slam singles title. But his fiercest challengers are 15 years or more younger, while it looks increasingly likely that the 1990s generation would simply miss the boat or—to use a tennis analogy—miss their shot at it. Also Read Why Rafael Nadal will forever remain the greatest star of French Open Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas—and to a lesser extent Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud—waited in vain for too long, and seem to have been simply left behind. Only Medvedev, 29, has won a Grand Slam, the US Open in 2021 when he denied Djokovic a calendar Grand Slam. Another player, Dominic Thiem, won in New York too in 2020 amid pandemic absentees. But he retired last year, at age 30, having been defeated by injuries and exhaustion from trying to beat the Big Three over the years. The Big Three—Federer, Nadal, Djokovic—won 66 Grand Slams in the space of about two decades in an astonishing domination of the men's game. Peers Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka got a few in between. World numbers one and two, Sinner and Alcaraz, have equally shared the last six Grand Slam titles, looking good enough to continue with the trend, except for Djokovic who still hunts for that elusive Slam which will put him clear of any male or female player ever to get to that number. Even as the products of the 2000s race ahead, the men of the 1990s find it harder and harder to catch up, such has been the evolution in skill, speed and fitness over just a few years. Also Read The Rugby Premier League bets big on speed, power and spectacle For instance, No.11 ranked Medvedev, 29, has a 2-6 win-loss record against Alcaraz and has not beaten him in their last four matches since 2023. He is a more respectable 7-8 against Sinner but has lost the last three times they played. Tsitsipas, down in rankings to 25, has never beaten Alcaraz in six attempts, but is up 6-3 against Sinner. He has been in two Grand Slam finals, 2021 Roland Garros—losing to Djokovic in five sets—and 2023 Australian Open—losing to Djokovic in three. 'I feel like the line-up right now is much more difficult than it was back then (in 2021, when he lost in the French final)," Tsitsipas said in a news conference at this year's Roland Garros. 'Players are so much more mature. Shots have changed. Players have second forehands in this very moment. They are playing with two forehands almost. I have to adapt my game." 'It's growing a lot in intensity and physically it has never been in a position the way it is now. I see constant evolution and constant growth in terms of the sport how players are evolving." 'Tennis was different before Jannik and Carlos came around the corner," he added. Also Read The reason why athletics records are tumbling around the world Zverev has a 4-3 win-loss against Sinner but has lost the two times they have played in the last two years. He is 6-5 against Alcaraz, giving him the best resume against the (new) Big Two. None of these matches have been on grass, and Zverev's numbers on the surface are not his best. For instance, he has never been past the fourth round of Wimbledon, which begins this year on 30 June. He has been in two Grand Slam finals as well, losing to Sinner in straight sets at this year's Australian Open and to Alcaraz at last year's Roland Garros. Ranked third in the world, Zverev is probably best placed to get a major title, though it may not happen next month. 'I wish I didn't have the three greatest players of all time for the first 10 years of my career because I think I would have won one or two Slam by now, but at the same time it was a privilege playing them…" Zverev said in a press conference at this year's French Open. 'Breaking into the top 5, 10 was more difficult back then because (the top) four spots were taken at all time. I don't see that now. Jannik is very dominant, Carlos is very dominant." If Thiem, Medvedev and the others waited for the Big Three to move on before they could have a legitimate chance at winning major titles, they were following a precedent. Ivan Lendl, who was the next-in-waiting to John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg in the early 1980s, lost half-a-dozen times in majors to one of these players till 1985, when the three finished playing. Lendl took five of the next nine Grand Slams. In 2020 itself, Tim Henman, a commentator on BBC, had said that the younger players (referring to the 1990s born) would have to be patient, but 'wary of the younger players coming up behind them," words that have turned out to be prophetic. After losing to Nadal in the 2021 Italian Open, Djokovic had said—perhaps in jest, perhaps scathingly, 'The Next Gen young people? Me, Rafa (Nadal) and Roger (Federer) are reinventing the Next Gen. We are the Next Gen." He may have been partly right, in that their era blurred the lines between generations. Arun Janardhan is a Mumbai-based journalist who covers sports, business leaders and lifestyle. Also Read Reliving India's historic 1975 Hockey World Cup win
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal debate solved with half grass, half clay match showing which Wimbledon legend was better
IT was a question that defined a tennis generation - who is better, Roger or Rafa? Way back in 2007, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal went to extreme lengths to find out. 3 3 3 The pair engaged in a bizarre experiment, pitting themselves against each other on a half-grass, half-clay court. Federer, then 26, entered the contest after winning five consecutive Wimbledon titles. He was undefeated on a grass court in FIVE years and had also won seven other Slams at the US and Australian Opens. Nadal was at that time the new kid on the block - but already the undoubted King of Clay. The Spaniard hadn't lost a match on the surface in two years as the pair agreed to a mad-cap exhibition on two surfaces. Argentine Pablo del Campo was the man to come up with the concept. He had been inspired by baseball, where dirt and turf mix seamlessly into the game. Del Campo told the BBC's Sporting Witness podcast: "When the outfield meets the infield, the grass meets the dirt. "Seeing that from above, I saw a hybrid tennis court. He added: "I think that the idea was irresistible for both Federer and Nadal." A venue was decided at the Palma Arena on Nadal's home island of Mallorca. Construction of the court took 19 days, with organisers racking up a total cost north of £1.3m. They also had to battle a worm infestation on the grass side of the court, resulting in it being relaid with turf from a GOLF green. Del Campo added: "We understood that was a mess, a big mess. "It was very, very stressful." The match was played over three sets infront of a sellout 7,000 crowd - and didn't disappoint. Wimbledon Ticket Options There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon as one of the only major sporting events in the world that offer sought-after tickets on the day of the event... The Queue As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high. Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket - with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place. Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased. While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available. It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website. This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account. Show Tickets If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3. Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold. Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit. For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men's final). Grounds Pass A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3. Ticket Resale From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available. A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App. Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2. Hospitality There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website. Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service. Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique. Secondary Markets Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times. *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* Nadal broke Federer's serve on both grass and clay to take the first set. But the Swiss superstar - a winner of 20 career Grand Slams - broke back to force a decider. Nadal would eventually take the third and deciding set following an epic 12-10 tie break. The Spanish superstar - who retired earlier last October with 14 French Open clay titles - admitted he thought the idea could be a "disaster". He said following the match: "It has been a nice experience. "Although before the match I thought it would be a disaster because I felt it would be very difficult for me to adapt to the court. "I have had a good time and that is important. "Both of us would like to repeat this experience because, although the match was not a real one, it allowed us to play for points without much tension and to play more relaxed." Despite never playing again on the bizarre surface, it would be Nadal who would triumph in the pair's head-to-head battles. The pair met 40 times over the years, with Nadal winning 26, and Federer 14. Federer added: "I found the court to be excellent, especially the clay part. "The challenge was difficult, because you have many things in your head. "You have problems to work out about how you are going to play on either side of the court. "On the grass, I felt at the start that I was moving very well, although it took me a while longer to adapt to the clay."
Welcome Qatar
5 days ago
- Sport
- Welcome Qatar
Sport News
Federer, Nadal bid to dethrone Djokovic (Sport | Tennis) Shanghai: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal enter this week's Shanghai Masters bidding to unseat current champion Novak...
NDTV
20-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
The Magic Of Carlos Alcaraz
The Stade Roland Garros is named after French World War 1 fighter pilot and aviation pioneer (Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros). Over the years, another high-flier, albeit in tennis apparel, became synonymous with the venue. Winning 14 singles titles at one Grand Slam event will have that effect. Most tennis fans in fact believe that what Rafael Nadal managed to accomplish on the red clay of Paris is not just otherworldly, but frankly impossible to replicate. But a certain 22-year-old, who was barely into his second year on this planet when his compatriot, Nadal, won his maiden French Open title in 2005, would no doubt have pictured himself winning title number 15, someday. Carlos Alcaraz will have no memory of how Nadal beat Mariano Puerta to triumphantly lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires 20 years ago, but he made sure every serious tennis fan in the world will forever remember how he came back from being two sets down to successfully defend his French Open crown, while saving as many as three Championship points (match points in a final). Read that again. Only two men before this had saved Championship points en route to winning a Slam title in the Open Era - Gaston Gaudio in 2004 at Roland Garros and Novak Djokovic in 2019 at Wimbledon. Since the Open Era began in 1968, there had been only eight men who had come back from two sets down to win a Grand Slam final. On June 8, Alcaraz became the ninth. The ninth man in 57 years. It's not the most logical of things, but it is a facet of human nature that sometimes it takes a herculean effort to make people realise the obvious. There of course has been a lot of talk, for a while now, about who the worthy successors will be of the Big 3 (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic), and names like Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been on top of the list of potentials. But after what we witnessed on the court Philippe-Chatrier of the Stade Roland Garros in the French Open men's singles final this year - a clash of two different but supremely effective playing styles, in what was the longest ever final played at the venue (5 hours and 29 minutes) - there's no doubt that tennis fans will officially anoint both players as the biggest torchbearers of the new era in global men's singles tennis. This is the rivalry in men's tennis to watch out for, for now. The last six Slam titles have been shared by the two best players of this generation. It wasn't a surprise then to hear six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker say on Eurosport Germany, "It was the same with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. What epic duels they've had over 15 years - and that's exactly the level I see Carlos and Jannik at." Seven-time Slam champion, Mats Wilander, told TNT Sports, "I thought: 'This is not possible - they're playing at a pace that is not human.'" A new era in men's tennis has well and truly begun. There's absolutely no doubt that tennis, like most other extremely physical sports, is mostly a young person's game. As the body ages and the reflexes become slower, it takes longer and longer to recuperate physically. Consequently, more and more 'older' players are left by the wayside. This is also one factor that made the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic titans of the sport - they didn't seem to be afflicted by the usual tyrannies of ageing, like most mortals. But even so, to win five Grand Slam titles by the age of 22 is a monumental achievement. Alcaraz is the third youngest man to clinch five Slams after Bjorn Borg (21) and Rafa Nadal (22). But then, Alcaraz has always been "a phenom". He turned professional at the age of 15 in 2018 and broke into the men's top 100 rankings by 2021. He finished as the world number 35 that year (2021), after making it to the US Open quarter-finals - the youngest men's singles Grand Slam quarter-finalist since the then 18-year-old Michael Chang in 1990 at the French Open. From a first-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist to a five-time Slam champion in four years. Now, that is some super-fast progression. However, what is most remarkable about Alcaraz's development, so far, is that he is as comfortable on the fast (not as fast as it used to be of course) Wimbledon grass as he is on the slow, grind-it-out clay of Roland Garros. Most tennis players who come out of the Spanish stable are clay-court masters, because they are reared on clay from a very early age. Out of the 22 Slam titles that Nadal won in his career, 14 were won on clay - that's almost 64% of his total tally. Most people feel that a Spaniard's favourite tennis surface will always be clay, but Alcaraz has turned that stereotype on its head. Some experts feel that clay, in fact, does not really suit his high-risk, high-reward style of play because the longer rallies increase the chances of unforced errors for him, among other factors. So far in his career, Alcaraz has won Slam titles on all three different varieties of courts - hard, grass and clay, having clinched the US Open, Wimbledon and French Open titles. Some might feel hard courts might suit his game the most, but that would be inaccurate, going by his progression - he won the US Open in 2022 as his maiden Slam title, but hasn't won a hard-court Slam since then, while winning two Wimbledon and two French Open titles since then. Even the all-time greats like Federer, Rafa and Novak have been vulnerable on certain surfaces. Federer, who won 20 Grand Slams, managed to win just one French Open title. Nadal won Wimbledon just twice. Djokovic, in fact, is one player who has come very close to being almost invincible on all surfaces, but he, too, clearly prefers hard and grass courts. So, which is Carlos Alcaraz's favourite surface? The scary thing is: he might be a complete all-surface player. Of course, he has miles to go before he can legitimately earn that epithet, but even some of the legends of the game have conceded that he might have the best qualities of the Big 3, rolled into one. Eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi told TNT Sports, "....You gotta remember this guy has defence and speed like Novak, if not more. He has feel like Federer, you could argue at times if not more. He has RPMs in pace like Rafa. You could argue maybe even more." There have been only four men in this century who have won at least one Grand Slam title four years in a row. Alcaraz is the fourth. The first three were Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. There's a certain steely determination that runs through Alcaraz's veins. And it's not surprising. After all, he does have tennis in his blood. Carlos' father is a tennis player-turned-coach and handed Carlos a racquet at the age of four. That is when he joined the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia, where his father was coach and administrator. His father lit the spark, and it was noticed by no-nonsense manager Albert Molina when Carlos was just 11. Molina is also from Murcia (like Alcaraz) and was instrumental in the global talent-management company, IMG, signing the prodigy. He also introduced Carlos to former world number one, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who joined the Alcaraz camp as head coach in 2019. A recent Netflix documentary revealed how Molina was quite upset with Alcaraz when the youngster went to Ibiza for a holiday after losing to Nadal in the 2023 French Open. Molina felt the then 20-year-old was not taking his upcoming commitments, including Wimbledon, seriously. Alcaraz had the perfect reply for his manager - his first Wimbledon title, just a few weeks later. This anecdote shows, in many ways, how Alcaraz can switch on in an instant and can fuel himself with positivity and confidence, no matter what the situation. In the French Open final this time, Alcaraz was down love-40, trailing 3-5 in the fourth set against Sinner. He managed to save all three match points to turn the match on its head, before going on to win the fifth set tie-break and the Championship and scripting one of the all-time greatest comebacks in the sport. Alcaraz is only the second male player after Roger Federer to have remained unbeaten in his first five Slam finals. Ferrero, who has been coaching him since Alcaraz was 16, has gone on record to say that even he thought the Spaniard wouldn't be able to come back from that position, but "...with Carlos, everything is possible." Those might just turn out to be prophetic words.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Arise, noble Rafa, the Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca
Spain's King Felipe VI has granted tennis great Rafa Nadal the noble title of marquis, recognising his contribution to the nation through sporting prowess. Nadal, the 22-time grand slam champion who retired last year, was among six individuals honoured as part of celebrations marking the monarch's 10th anniversary on the throne. Other given such titles included pop-rock singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales. "They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society," the palace said. Former world No.1 Nadal, at 39, will hold the title Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca, the island where he was born and lives. The title can be inherited by his descendants. Nadal, who won the French Open a record 14 times, was also honoured last month at Roland Garros with a permanent footprint on the Court Philippe Chatrier. Spain's King Felipe VI has granted tennis great Rafa Nadal the noble title of marquis, recognising his contribution to the nation through sporting prowess. Nadal, the 22-time grand slam champion who retired last year, was among six individuals honoured as part of celebrations marking the monarch's 10th anniversary on the throne. Other given such titles included pop-rock singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales. "They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society," the palace said. Former world No.1 Nadal, at 39, will hold the title Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca, the island where he was born and lives. The title can be inherited by his descendants. Nadal, who won the French Open a record 14 times, was also honoured last month at Roland Garros with a permanent footprint on the Court Philippe Chatrier. Spain's King Felipe VI has granted tennis great Rafa Nadal the noble title of marquis, recognising his contribution to the nation through sporting prowess. Nadal, the 22-time grand slam champion who retired last year, was among six individuals honoured as part of celebrations marking the monarch's 10th anniversary on the throne. Other given such titles included pop-rock singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales. "They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society," the palace said. Former world No.1 Nadal, at 39, will hold the title Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca, the island where he was born and lives. The title can be inherited by his descendants. Nadal, who won the French Open a record 14 times, was also honoured last month at Roland Garros with a permanent footprint on the Court Philippe Chatrier. Spain's King Felipe VI has granted tennis great Rafa Nadal the noble title of marquis, recognising his contribution to the nation through sporting prowess. Nadal, the 22-time grand slam champion who retired last year, was among six individuals honoured as part of celebrations marking the monarch's 10th anniversary on the throne. Other given such titles included pop-rock singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales. "They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society," the palace said. Former world No.1 Nadal, at 39, will hold the title Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca, the island where he was born and lives. The title can be inherited by his descendants. Nadal, who won the French Open a record 14 times, was also honoured last month at Roland Garros with a permanent footprint on the Court Philippe Chatrier.
