Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are heralded as, by some distance, the best two players of their generation.
This is a suggestion that few would deny.
Not only that, but they are also seen by many as the natural successors to the Big Three, having emerged at the perfect time to bridge the gap between their steady declines.
Despite all they have already won at such young ages, with Alcaraz arguably already cementing his spot as the greatest youngster of all time, Marat Safin has now made a bold claim.
He seems to think that, despite all they have accomplished, they wouldn’t be half as successful had they been forced to compete during his era in the early 2000s.
Marat Safin compares the current era including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to his own
Speaking during a conversation on YouTube with his sister, Dinara Safina, the 2000 US Open champion and former world number one did not mince words.
Discussing the world’s two best players, Alexander Zverev exempt despite having just overtaken Carlos Alcaraz, Safin argued: “I think I would probably have lost to them, but I don’t see them as scary players.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
“No, they’re not Federer at all. It’s another completely different level. To reach Federer’s level, they still have to grow a lot. I don’t want to belittle anyone. It’s just my way of seeing it.
“If Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz had played at the time of Nadal and Djokovic, or even in the early 2000s, they would not have been the number one or the number two in the world. I don’t think they would have gotten that far.
“They are excellent players; they are extraordinary tennis players, and they have won many titles. I don’t know if they would have won so many Grand Slams playing at that time. I’m not sure.”
He extended his criticism to the level of tennis in general at the minute, adding: “The level of tennis has dropped. I don’t know why it happened, but the level is no longer the same.
“Before there were thirty or fifty players capable of playing extraordinary tennis. Now, at most, there are ten. They reach the semifinals or finals without losing a single set, and that seems funny to me.”
John McEnroe clearly disagrees with Marat Safin’s take on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Despite Safin’s brash comments, it’s clear that one other notable pundit might not agree.
After all, just last year, John McEnroe made a bold claim about Alcaraz and Sinner that completely goes against the Russian’s more recent view.
Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz is already the greatest tennis player of all time?
Having just witnessed these two contemporary titans play out one of the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time in Paris, the American was clearly swept up with emotion.
Speaking to TNT Sports, he argued: “You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best.
“The tennis level right now is higher than I’ve ever seen.”
