Carlos Alcaraz denied Novak Djokovic a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, making history of his own by becoming the youngest man to win all four tennis Majors. The young Spaniard is clearly the best player of his generation. His close rival Jannik Sinner trails him in Grand Slam count and head-to-head meetings. He is a metronome in comparison, not quite possessing Alcaraz’s x-factor and ability to produce something out of the blue at a big moment.
However, something that Toni Nadal said in the aftermath of the events in Melbourne has made news. Toni — the uncle, guide, former coach and mentor of Rafael Nadal, the holder of 22 Grand Slam singles titles — felt Alcaraz was “lucky” that “his opponents are of a lower calibre.”
Toni – the uncle, guide, former coach and mentor of Rafael Nadal, the holder of 22 Grand Slam singles titles – felt Alcaraz was “lucky” that “his opponents are of a lower calibre.”
The 64-year-old was quick to add that it was not an attempt to belittle his younger compatriot, but an honest assessment.
“He [Alcaraz] has exceptional physical attributes, excellent technical skill,” Toni said, but contrasted the present era with the one gone by, when his nephew was a member of the proverbial ‘Big Three’ in men’s tennis.
“Before, when you went out to play against [Juan Martin] Del Potro, [Andy] Murray, or [Stan] Wawrinka, you knew you were going to suffer and that the match was going to be tough. If they had a great day, they could beat you,” he told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
However, during that era, only Murray and Wawrinka managed to win three Grand Slams each. Many talented players failed to get over the triple threat.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was one of the players to have fallen short as his career coincided with those of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer. He defeated Nadal in the semifinals of the 2008 Australian Open, but fell to Djokovic in the title clash – the Serb’s first Grand Slam title. At the 2010 Australian Open, he defeated Djokovic at the last-eight stage, only to fall to a rampant Federer in the next round. The Frenchman got the better of Federer in the quarterfinals of the 2011, but then came second-best to Djokovic.
The moral of the story is: If one (of the Big Three) doesn’t get you, another one invariably will. Tsonga, who retired in 2022, is well placed to compare what is often referred to as the ‘golden era in men’s tennis’ and the current disposition.
“He (Alcaraz) is definitely a complete (player). Really. But is he stronger than these players (the Big 3) in any aspect? Physically? Mentally? We really don’t have a clue,” Tsonga was quoted as saying by Univers Tennis.
“I would have liked to see Alcaraz win Roland Garros, defeating Del Potro in the third round, Wawrinka fourth, Djokovic quarterfinal, Nadal semifinal, and Federer final.”
Reflecting on the current landscape, the winner of 18 ATP singles titles – including two Masters 1000 events – said: “Today, they (Sinner and Alcaraz) are dominating like hell. But they are (the) only two in the field.”
Looking back with fondness
But one can only beat the player on the other side of the net. Grand Slam tournaments, more often than not, bring the cream to the top at the business end. And there’s a hint of nostalgia in claiming that things are not as good as they used to be.
Federer won his first cluster of Majors – before Nadal and Djokovic hit their prime – defeating players such as Mark Philippoussis, Fernando Gonzalez and Marcos Baghdatis, who never won a Grand Slam title. The likes of Nikolay Davidenko and David Nalbandian were two of the others who regularly used to make the last-four stage. Will it be fair to say that Federer was ‘lucky’ at that time? Had it not been for the Swiss maestro, these players would have been Grand Slam champions today.
Federer also beat Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi – all Major champions – during that time, and all of them conceded that they fell to a man who was playing tennis at another level.
At the turn of the century, Agassi and Pete Sampras were the reigning deities in tennis – the latter was considered the gold standard and finished with 14 Grand Slam titles, a mark that was considered, at that stage, tough to breach. Agassi had completed the career Grand Slam – something that hadn’t been achieved by a male player for 30 years.
But the two Americans now seem out of GOAT (Greatest of all Time) debates, with the choice narrowed down to the Big Three.
If one goes a decade further back, it was Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker who dominated the game. Even then there were some who longed for an earlier era. The 1990 Wimbledon final was a see-saw encounter with Edberg winning the first two sets, Becker the next two, before the Swede came through in the fifth. But it was considered a poor comparison to the final a decade earlier when Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe featured in the final, considered the greatest match till the one between Federer and Nadal in 2008 at SW19.
Past was better
The lament prevalent from the mid-1980s to the whole of 1990s was that tennis had become a power game, finesse and rallies had gone out, and the serve had become too much of a dominant factor.
In fact, the 1970s and early 80s played a big role in the worldwide popularity of tennis, when players were known not just for the skills they displayed, but for the characters they were. The Ice Borg, the volatile McEnroe, and the combative Jimmy Connors caught the public’s imagination. Borg may not feature in many GOAT debates these days, but winning six French Open titles and five at Wimbledon – back-to-back on three occasions is something that hasn’t been achieved since.
If the number of Majors is the only criterion for greatness, one has to consider that most top players from America and Europe used to often give the Australian Open a miss due to the long distance, lower prestige and it being scheduled around Christmas. Also, for a long period, three of the four Slams were played on grass, implying that the current generation have had to conquer different surfaces and conditions.
Comparing generations may be a favourite pastime for fans, but no one can do any better than beating the player one is confronted with. Winning a Grand Slam tournament invariably involves defeating seven players in best-of-five-sets matches over a fortnight, during which conditions may change and one may not feel or play the best at all times.
Alcaraz, at 22 years of age, is already almost a third of his way to Djokovic’s Grand Slam tally, and although there are no guarantees in top-level sport, his achievement should get its due credit.