In this post, I comment on how talented and personable young players, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, are moving men’s tennis into a new generation and enhancing their personal brands.

Like many others, I found men’s tennis to be lacking following the retirements of all-time greats Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. That is often the case when exceptional athletes retire, especially in an individual sport like tennis where singles players are alone on court, battling one-on-one in every match.

The other member of the Big Three, Novak Djokovic, is still playing, but at age 38 and with a record 24 grand slam titles behind him, he, too, is rounding third and heading for home. Djokovic said he would like to play a few more years, but his quest for a 25^th major championship becomes more difficult as time goes on.

After a recent match at Wimbledon, Novak joked that he likely soon will be sitting on the beach and sipping drinks with Roger and Rafa. Time, as it always does, will tell, and time remains undefeated in letting athletes know when it is time to go.

Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are legends. Tennis Mount Rushmore material along with Rod Laver. The greatest players of all-time. And fans got to watch all three play during the same incredible era. Their excellence and dominance over an extended period of time may never be matched. 

The Big Three stood at the top of men’s singles tennis for two decades, winning a combined 66 major championships and taking turns earning the number one weekly ranking for an incredible 947 weeks. That adds up to 18 years.

Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic also finished the year as the world’s number one player 18 times in the 20 years from 2004 to 2023. The only exceptions were in 2016 when Andy Murray claimed the number one spot and in 2022 when Carlos Alcaraz topped the list.

Were it not for the Big Three, Murray would likely have many more major titles than the three he won during his career – the 2012 US Open and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016.

It is hard to replace one all-time great, let alone three, but that is where the men’s tour found itself after Roger and Rafa retired. Thankfully, two young guns – Alcaraz of Spain and Jannik Sinner of Italy – have established themselves at the top of the rankings. Winning multiple major tournaments over the past few years, they are building a friendly rivalry and guiding men’s singles tennis toward a bright future.

What’s more, they are doing so with style, class, and good sportsmanship, just like their predecessors. They are respectful to opponents, fans, and officials, and their public comments highlight their positive attitude and good character.

Roger and Rafa, especially, set the bar high in how to be a classy winner as well as a gracious loser. They not only protected their personal brands in the way they acted and spoke in public, but they also enhanced them. Even after retiring from the tennis tour, Roger and Rafa remain highly respected and their earning power through endorsements and appearances remains strong. Federer earned $95 million in endorsements last year, and Nadal earned $23 million.¹ Still an active touring professional, Djokovic often uses humor to endear him to the public and earned $25 million in endorsements last year.²

It looks like Alcaraz and Sinner are following in their footsteps. That’s good news for tennis and everyone involved in the sport. Here is what the young players said following Sinner’s victory over Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final:

Alcaraz – “It’s always difficult to lose. Even if it’s the final. But, first of all, I have to congratulate Jannik once again. It’s congratulations to you every week. It’s a really well-deserved trophy. Unbelievable, two weeks in London for you, playing great tennis. For your team, as well. I know there are a lot of family and friends here to watch you in the final, so just an amazing team around you. Really happy for you, keep it going. Really happy to be able to build a good relationship off the court and a great rivalry on the court that makes me improve every day, so thank you very much and congratulations.”³

Sinner – “First of all, I would like to start with Carlos, again, amazing tournament but mostly thank you for the player you are. It’s so difficult to play against you but we have, as you said, an amazing relationship off the court; and on the court we just try to build up and for that we need the best teams in the world – and you also have the best team….I would also like to thank my team and everyone who came here for this special day. It means so much. They keep pushing me to become a better tennis player, but also a better person.”

Their quotes are excellent public relations in action. And remember, both players were speaking in English – which is not their native language. Makes it even more impressive.

It will take a long time before they reach the consistent magnificence of the Big Three, but thankfully they are well on their way.

REMEMBER…

◊ There are excellent biographies available on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that are well worth your reading time. Be sure to check them out.

◊ Visit www.davidajolley.com for additional blog posts, other interesting content, and updates on future book releases.

1.  “World’s Highest Paid Athletes,” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/profile/roger-federer/ and https://www.forbes.com/profile/rafael-nadal/. ↩︎
2. “World’s Highest Paid Athletes,” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/profile/novak-djokovic/. ↩︎
3. Clarke, Lee, “Carlos Alcaraz issues thank you message to Jannik Sinner despite losing to him in the Wimbledon final,” The Tennis Gazette, July 13, 2025, https://www.thetennisgazette.com/news/carlos-alcaraz-issues-thank-you-message-to-jannik-sinner-despite-losing-to-him-in-the-wimbledon-final/ ↩︎