Sinner, Alcaraz break 31 years grand slam record

The “Big Three”—Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer—ruled tennis for years with an iron grip, leaving spectators in awe. They were dominant in the majors, winning 66 of the 81 Grand Slam events that took place between Federer’s 2003 Wimbledon victory and Djokovic’s most recent triumph at the 2023 US Open.

When these titans’ dominance would end has been a lingering issue in the sport. Has it reached its destination? In 2022, Federer, who had won 20 majors, announced his retirement. That same year, Rafael Nadal secured his 14th Roland Garros title, his most recent Slam victory.

The 38-year-old Spaniard is still racing, but his progress has been hampered by injuries. This season, he has only participated in seven races, including one major.

Then there is Djokovic, who at the age of 37 still holds a spot in the top five of the PIF ATP Rankings after winning three of the four majors in 2023 and the gold medal at the Paris Olympics this year. However, at New York, the 24-time major winner was shocked by Alexei Popyrin in the third round, guaranteeing that the Serbian will finish the season without a major trophy for the first time since 2017. The 23-year-old Jannik Sinner won his second Slam victory at Flushing Meadows, making this the first major championship season that players under the age of 23 have won since 1993. With the victory, the Italian, who solidified his position as the world’s top player in the PIF ATP Rankings, and Carlos Alcaraz have equally split the 2024 majors. Is this tug of war battle the next chapter in their thrilling Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry?

1993: The last time the four majors were won by players 23-and-under

Player Tournament Age

Jim Courier Australian Open 22 years, five months

Sergi Bruguera Roland Garros 22 years, four months

Pete Sampras Wimbledon 21 years, 10 month

Pete Sampras US Open 22 years, one month

On his way to winning his first major championship at the Australian Open, Sinner upset ten-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and overcame Daniil Medvedev in the championship match after trailing two sets to love.

Sinner became the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win two major titles in the same season by winning the US Open. Alcaraz, 21, became the youngest person to win a major championship on all three surfaces—clay, hard, and grass—when he won the other two majors of the season, Wimbledon and Roland Garros.

The World No. 3 defeated seven-time champion Djokovic in the Wimbledon final for the second year in a row, albeit this year’s victory came in straight sets as opposed to the thrilling five-setter in 2023. Joining Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Djokovic, and Alcaraz as the only men in the Open Era to win both the Roland Garros and Wimbledon double in the same year, Alcaraz is a four-time major champion.

The best men’s tennis players may see a radical change in leadership this year. Two geniuses who have established themselves in the record books across generations are Sinner and Alcaraz.