Thanasi Kokkinakis: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Are ‘As Good As’ Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

Former Australian Open doubles champion Thanasi Kokkinakis has offered a measured but striking assessment of where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner stand in relation to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — concluding that the current leading pair are at least the equals of the trio who dominated men’s tennis for two decades.

Kokkinakis, speaking exclusively to Tennis365 at The Boodles event at Stoke Park, is in a rare position to offer informed perspective, having competed against all five players central to this debate. “I have played them all and I don’t feel personally like the ‘Big 3’ back in the day were any better than these two we’ve got now,” he said.

The debate over whether Alcaraz and Sinner represent a step forward or merely a continuation of tennis excellence has divided opinion across the sport. Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander previously suggested the pair were already performing at a higher level than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic — a view that drew considerable pushback from other experienced voices in the game. Kokkinakis, however, broadly aligns with that school of thought, even if he stops short of placing the current duo above the established greats.

“I think tennis is always evolving,” Kokkinakis continued. “Of course, I would still say playing Nadal on clay is still the toughest challenge, but what Roger, Rafa and Novak did back in the day and what Alcaraz and Sinner are doing now, it’s amazing. It’s hard to pick who is the toughest to play against. Obviously, Djokovic has got all the records, but I think any one of those five on their day can beat anyone.”

Alcaraz and Sinner have accumulated Grand Slam titles at a notable rate since emerging as the dominant force in men’s tennis. Between them, the Spaniard and Italian have won multiple majors across different surfaces, with Alcaraz claiming titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and Roland Garros, while Sinner has won the Australian Open and US Open. The question of whether either player can approach the remarkable Grand Slam totals of the Big 3 — all three of whom won 20 or more major titles — remains a central talking point heading into the next phase of their careers.

Kokkinakis acknowledged the scale of the challenge such a target presents. “It’s such a crazy figure to think about when you think of what can happen over the course of two weeks of a Slam,” he said. “You have matches that go against you and you need to stick in there. Also, you can’t get sick and you have to stay healthy.”

Djokovic’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles — the most in the history of the men’s game — drew particular admiration from Kokkinakis. “For Novak to win 24 Grand Slams, that’s just absurd. The tennis level is there for Alcaraz and Sinner to get there, but the consistency of the Big 3 was insane and we have to wait and see if these two can play for that long.”

The Australian also pointed to structural factors that could limit either player’s individual haul, including the direct rivalry between them and the emerging depth of the men’s tour. “They will be battling each other for the next few years, so they will be sharing the titles around and we also have some pretty good young players coming through, so it’s an interesting time for men’s tennis,” he added.

Sinner is currently preparing for Wimbledon, where a title would add to his growing major collection and further fuel comparisons with the sport’s all-time greats. The Italian is also navigating the ongoing attention surrounding a doping case that resulted in a three-month ban earlier this year, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reached a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. Alcaraz, the defending Wimbledon champion, will be looking to retain his title on the grass courts of the All England Club.