Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are playing at a higher level than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in their prime, according to former world No 6 Hubert Hurkacz, yet his claim comes with an important clarification.
Tennis legend John McEnroe sparked a huge debate at the French Open, when he suggested Sinner and Alcaraz would be favourites to beat 14-time Roland Garros champion Nadal on his favourite clay court.
“You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best,” McEnroe told TNT Sports.
“Do I think they’re gonna reach 20, 24 (titles), either one of them? No, because that plateau is so hard.
“But these two guys right now, it’s like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I’ve ever seen.”
More Tennis News
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz compared to Federer-Djokovic rivalry by former Wimbledon champion
Those claims were quickly dismissed by many high-profile tennis observers, but Hurkacz has told Tennis365 that McEnroe comments are not far off the mark.
The Polish star played plenty of matches against the ‘Big 4’ from the last era, with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic joined by Andy Murray as the dominant forces in the men’s game for well over a decade.
Hurkacz has also enjoyed battles with Sinner and Alcaraz in recent years and suggests the levels in the game now have lifted to a point that is seeing the new top two in men’s tennis raising standards.
“It’s difficult to say who wins when they are all playing their best tennis,” Hurkacz told Tennis365 at an Adidas event in London.
“I feel like the level is growing every single year, and obviously, we can say the level is better than it was ten years ago, but that is not to say Roger, Rafa, Novak and Andy could not get to where we are now.
“They also improved every year and raised the bar, so if they were playing now, they would still be improving.
“What we can say is Jannik and Carlos are playing at an incredible level now and it is up to the rest of us to work hard to keep up with them.
“That’s why I wake up every morning and work so hard to try and reach those levels. They are setting a big target now, so that is what we have to aim for.”
Hubert Hurkacz with Tennis365’s Kevin Palmer at an Adidas event in London
Hurkacz has suffered a slide down the rankings over the last year as he has been troubled by injuries, but he is remaining upbeat as he looks ahead to the hard court swing in north America.
“It has not been an easy year for me, but my ambition is still big,” he added. “I still have the ambition to win all the Grand Slams. There is no secret about that.
“You will always have difficult moments in your life, but I am not even close to reaching my full potential. I believe I can be so much better.”
Hurkacz has wins against Federer, Nadal and Sinner on his record, as he has proved he can live with the best in the game.
Now his ambition is to get back to the top, with the presence of eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl and Olympic doubles gold medalist Nicolas Massu on his team offering evidence of his determination to do all he can to climb back to the top.
The London Originals Collection is available to buy on adidas.com/tennis
READ NEXT: Sinner and Alcaraz ‘more likely’ than Big Three to complete rare feat says Davis Cup winner
The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner compared to ‘Big 4’ by a player who has faced them all appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply