Novak Djokovic has said that being compared to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is the greatest compliment he could receive. The 24-time Grand Slam champion spoke about his influence on the current generation during an appearance on Kevin Hart's Cold as Balls podcast.
Djokovic is widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time. No one in the men's game has more major titles, and he also holds outright records for the most Grand Slam finals, semi-finals and quarter-finals, as well as the most Masters 1000 titles and the most weeks ranked world No. 1.
Impact on the new generation
Many of Djokovic's historic achievements came during the big three era, when he competed alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Stanislas Wawrinka, Juan Martin del Potro and many other top players. Alcaraz and Sinner have since become the dominant forces in men's tennis, creating what has been referred to as the new two after the big three era.
Asked on the podcast whether he has embraced any of the current young players, Djokovic said: "Look, I think, for anybody that follows tennis, Sinner and Alcaraz, you guys know how they play, right?"
He added: "You know their styles? Who do they resemble?" Hart responded: "You. I'm dead serious. You."
Nine straight Grand Slams
Djokovic continued: "So, for me, that's the greatest compliment. If I was able to create an impact, I'm happy because that's the whole point."
Alcaraz and Sinner won nine consecutive Grand Slam singles titles between them, from the 2024 Australian Open to this year's event Down Under. That run was ended by Alexander Zverev's victory at the French Open in June, where Alcaraz did not compete due to a wrist injury and Sinner lost in the second round after struggling in the extreme Paris heat.
Sinner then bounced back with victory at Wimbledon over Zverev in July, before a knee injury forced him to miss the US Open. Alcaraz competed in Flushing Meadows after four and a half months out and looked in decent shape, losing just one set en route to the quarter-finals. But his lack of match fitness after so long out may have eventually caught up with him in a five-set loss to America's Ben Shelton.
Zverev then claimed victory in New York, beating Shelton in four sets to take the title.
