Juan Martin del Potro was a rival to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and the Argentine legend has spoken to Tennis 365 about how Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner compare to the ‘Big Three.’
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are the three players who have won the most Grand Slam titles in the history of men’s tennis, with 24, 22 and 20 respectively.
From Federer’s first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 to Djokovic’s most recent at the 2023 US Open, the legendary trio won 66 of the 81 majors held in a staggering 20-year period of combined dominance.
Alcaraz and Sinner, who have won seven and four Grand Slams respectively, have secured the last nine majors between them since the start of 2024.
The Spaniard and the Italian’s duopoly in men’s tennis has seen them frequently compared to Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.
What did Del Potro say about how Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner compare to the Big Three?
In an exclusive interview, Tennis365 asked del Potro for his thoughts on how Alcaraz and Sinner’s level compares to the heights the Big Three reached at their peak.
“It’s a difficult one. Difficult one to answer,” said del Potro, who was speaking in his role as an ambassador for the Roland Garros Junior Series by Renault.
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“Of course, Carlitos and Jannik are playing magnificent tennis. They are so good, they are playing well on all surfaces, which is very important.
“But I can’t compare them with the Big Three. The other guys, for me, are very special.
“I played my whole career with them. I know how good they are, how difficult it was to achieve everything that they have done for tennis.”
Del Potro went on to explain why he thinks Alcaraz and Sinner are capable of threatening the numbers achieved by Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.
“I also know that Carlitos and Jannik have a big opportunity to get closer to them, because tennis now is open, and they are playing much better than the rest,” del Potro added.
“So in my point of view, they have big chances to keep winning the big tournaments.”
Del Potro’s career achievements and record vs The Big Three
Del Potro won his only Grand Slam title during the Big Three’s era of dominance, having beaten Federer in a memorable five-set final at the 2009 US Open.
This came after Federer and Nadal had won 17 of the previous 18 Slams between them, with Djokovic securing the other.
During a glittering career spanning from 2005 to 2022, del Potro reached a career-high ranking of world No 3 and won 22 ATP Tour singles titles.
The hugely popular 6ft6in Argentine, who is known as the ‘Tower of Tandil’, achieved these feats despite suffering a host of serious injuries.
Del Potro amassed an impressive 17 wins combined from his matches with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Del Potro vs the Big Three
- 6-11 vs Nadal (35.3%)
- 7-18 vs Federer (28%)
- 4-16 vs Djokovic (20%)
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