Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are well on track to become the most successful tennis players in history.
Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated the ATP Tour in recent years and it has seen them share the last nine Grand Slams.
At 24 and 22, respectively, the pair could quite easily match Novak Djokovic’s total of 24 Grand Slam titles.
David Nalbandian believes Alcaraz and Sinner’s long-term form will be the true indicator of their greatness.
David Nalbandian says Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner need to prove their longevity
Speaking to ESPN Tenis, Nalbandian said Alcaraz and Sinner now need to prove their longevity to reach the success of Roger Federer, Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.
“Emulate the Big 3? They have to keep it up for 10 or 15 years, no more and no less,” said the former world number three.
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Nalbandian believes the pair have the chance to outstrip the ‘Big Three’s’ records, but they would need to perform at their current level for at least the next decade.
“They have the potential today. The issue afterward is sustaining it over time, the motivations, the injuries, the new generations.
“Today they’re above the rest but if in three or four years another one like them appears, they start sharing the titles. The numbers these three monsters put up are off the charts.”
Alcaraz holds seven Grand Slams, while Sinner holds four major titles, so they are still a long way off the totals of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal.
How Novak Djokovic’s tally compares with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at this age
Djokovic was a relative late bloomer in tennis, despite winning his first Grand Slam title at the age of 21 years old.
The Serbian star turned Sinner’s current age in 2011, which is when he first started to dominate the Grand Slam scene.
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In the 2011 season, Djokovic won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, which backed up his first major title win at the 2008 Australian Open.
Djokovic held four Grand Slam titles at the age of 24, which is the same number Sinner has at the same age.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, took the ATP Tour by storm at a far younger age. He won his first Grand Slam at 19 and he already holds seven at the age of 22.
Both men could quite easily win more Grand Slams than Djokovic’s 24, but they will need to continue their excellent form.
