The new rivalry pushing tennis beyond 'Big Three'

One of the great joys of the Big Three era was that following the sport had a very personal touch to it—you were either in Roger Federer's corner or shouting Vamos with Rafael Nadal or taking on the world as part of Novak Djokovic's #NoleFam.

- Ashish Magotra

NEW DELHI: There was no fence-sitting allowed. You lived every point with them and that made their triumphs feel like your own.

The Big Three's incredible 66-Grand Slam run is generally considered to have begun after Federer's 2003 Wimbledon win and gone on till Djokovic's shock US Open exit in 2024—the two decades of domination meant the players and the fandom became part of the sport's fabric.

As the era draws to a close (Djokovic is still around, but fast fading), the fans were overwhelmed by a sense of loss and also a fear...would they ever be able to enjoy tennis in quite the same way again?

But after watching Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner go toe-to-toe in an epic five-hour 29-minute French Open final, many of those fears might have evaporated. Once again, you are being called upon to pick a side: are you ready to get on the emotional rollercoaster with Alcaraz or do you prefer the calm nonchalance of Sinner?

"I think every rivalry is different. Back in the days, they played a little bit different tennis. Now the ball is going fast. It's very physical. It's slightly different from my point of view, but you cannot compare. I was lucky enough to play against Novak, against Rafa. In Grand Slams, Roger, I never played, unfortunately. Beating these guys, it takes a lot," Sinner said in the press conference after the final.