Indian tennis veteran Rohan Bopanna has weighed in on comparisons between the legendary trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer and the current rising stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Speaking during the 2025 Australian Open, where he is competing in the mixed-doubles quarterfinals alongside Zhang Shuai, Bopanna emphasized the uniqueness of the Big Three.
“There’s a big difference between those three guys and this generation coming up,” Bopanna stated, noting their unmatched consistency over the years. He believes Alcaraz and Sinner, while promising, are still developing their game and learning to sustain high performance levels.
Bopanna acknowledged the excitement the younger generation has brought to the sport, adding, “It’s gonna be really good the next few years for tennis.” However, he reiterated that Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic represent a special era in tennis history that is unlikely to be replicated.
The 43-year-old Indian, who turned professional in 2023, also reflected on his time competing alongside the Big Three on the ATP Tour, underscoring their unparalleled dominance and impact on the sport.
Djokovic at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025
Ranked world no.7, Djokovic owns a compiled 7-1 match record in 2025. The Serbian is now competing at the Australian Open where he conquered the world no.107 Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2, the world no.125 Jaime Faria 6-1 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2, the world no.25 Tomas Machac 6-1 6-4 6-4, the world no.29 Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) and the world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4.
Novak Djokovic will play the world no.2 Alexander Zverev in the semifinal. Their actual head to head record is 8-4 for Djokovic.
The Serbian won 99 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 20 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Doha (Qatar ExxonMobil Open) on the 17th of February and () on the 29th of December.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2025
Currently ranked no.
3, Carlos played his last match on the 21st of January when he lost to world no.7 Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the quarter of the Australian Open (draw).At the moment, during this season Alcaraz achieved an overall 4-1 record.
Carlos Alcaraz will fight against the world no.370 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . In the past, they have never competed against each other till now in top events.
Alcaraz won 17 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Rotterdam (ABN AMRO Open) on the 3rd of February and Doha (Qatar ExxonMobil Open) on the 17th of February.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz squared off 8 times. Their current record is 5-3 for Djokovic. Previously, the last time they squared off, Novak Djokovic won 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the quarter in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 21st of January 2025.
Sinner at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025
Now the world no.1, Sinner has achieved a 4-0 match record in 2025. Jannik is now having a run at the Australian Open where he beat the world no.36 Nicolas Jarry 7-6(2) 7-6(5) 6-1, the world no.173 Tristan Schoolkate 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3, the world no.46 Marcos Giron 6-3 6-4 6-2 and the world no.13 Holger Rune 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2.
Jannik Sinner will face the world no.8 Alex De Minaur in the quarter on Wednesday at 7:30 pm on Rod Laver Arena. Their head to head is 9-0 for Sinner.
The Italian won 19 titles in his career: 9 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 8 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner |
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