Casper Ruud put in a brave performance in yesterday’s Italian Open final, but even that was not enough to really trouble Jannik Sinner.
His 6-4, 6-4 defeat is indicative that, even at their best, the rest of the ATP Tour seemingly cannot compete with the world number one.
The Norwegian tennis star has been around for some time now and has enjoyed a hugely successful career despite having never won a major title.
He has lived through an era boasting the Big Three, and is now suffering through another era where Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have taken over as well.
Speaking after the Italian Open final, Casper Ruud has sought to compare these two legendary generations.
Casper Ruud says if Jannik Sinner can be compared to the Big Three
The 28-year-old began by assessing whether he felt Sinner seemed slightly more vulnerable than usual, having collected an early break in the match but failed to capitalise.
“I mean, I got, like I said, the perfect start that I wanted and couldn’t follow up with a good service game, unfortunately,” Ruud remarked on that fast start, admitting that he struggled to threaten Sinner’s serve from that point on.
Do you think Jannik Sinner could really win all 9 Masters 1000 events in 2026?
He added: “The fact is he’s an incredible player. Me having played all of the top players in the world in my career, when he plays his best, there’s not many that can reach this level, if anyone at all in the world.”
One reporter then suggested Carlos Alcaraz as a potential threat to Sinner, to which Ruud replied: “Yeah, I think definitely those two. I never played the big three in their prime. I played them in their career, but towards the end of their career. They felt more playable at that time. But I’m sure Roger, Novak, Rafa, 25, 26 years old was also the same feeling for the other players.
“I don’t see him getting any worse, unfortunately (smiling). You just have to think that you have to be better and better because he’s also going to get better and better.”
Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic both congratulated Sinner on social media after the final, heralding his latest achievement, which neither Rafael Nadal nor Roger Federer was able to do in their careers.
Jannik Sinner’s Masters 1000 career compared to Roger Federer
Whilst Sinner is still some way off from equalling Federer’s tally of 28 Masters 1000 titles, he has already accomplished something that the Swiss superstar never did.
After all, despite his incredible success across two decades, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was never able to complete the set of Masters 1000 events.
He certainly came close, having won seven of the nine on offer, but routinely fell short in Monte Carlo and Rome.
It’s worth noting that Federer did reach multiple finals of both events, but was rather cruelly beaten by Rafael Nadal in all but two of them.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Sinner did not face such a stern level of opposition, but must still be commended for winning all nine at just 24 years old.
And, with ten titles in total at this level, it’s hard not to see him eclipsing Federer’s tally in the coming years.
