Novak Djokovic knows better than most what it takes to break into a duopoly. Reflecting on his own rise against tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at US Open media day on Friday, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said he can relate to players looking to disrupt the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I kind of empathize with the third guy, because I was in those shoes with Federer and Nadal,” a smiling Djokovic said. “I want to see a third guy coming in.”
The dynamic rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz has quickly captivated the imagination of tennis fans worldwide, drawing attention and excitement in the same way Federer and Nadal once did. Djokovic is a fan of “Sincaraz” as well – can you blame him?
“When it comes to individual sports like ours or boxing, Formula 1 racing, whatever it is, golf, people love to see rivalries,” Djokovic explained. “I think their rivalry is, without a doubt, the best one we have at the moment. And it looks like it’s going to stay like that for some time.”
Still, the Serbian legend, who will make a bid to win a record 25th major title during the Flushing fortnight, believes another contender will emerge to push the two young stars. “And then you have obviously other young players that are definitely going to challenge them, and hopefully somebody can get in the mix,” he said. “There are players that are able to have that joker spot, the third spot.”
More than likely, he meant “Djoker.”
Just as Djokovic once crowbarred his way into what was previously known as th Federer–Nadal era, he predicts that history could soon repeat itself, with a new challenger ready to step into the spotlight alongside Sinner and Alcaraz.
It can’t happen soon enough for some. Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to win each of the last seven Grand Slam titles.
“They’re going to get interrupted,” American Frances Tiafoe said of Sinner and Alcaraz. “It just has to happen. I can’t see them playing the finals every week. Shout out to both those guys, [but] we need something new.”
