Towards the final stretch of the big three’s unprecedented period of dominance, as it became clear Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic would vacate their thrones, the future of men’s tennis was clouded in uncertainty. Although there was a talented, competitive generation of players born in the 1990s waiting to take their place, the gulf in quality was significant. For a short time, there were opportunities for someone brave enough to take them.
The past fortnight in Paris has again underlined how Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have emphatically shut the door on this prospect. As they prepare to face each other in a grand slam final for the first time, at Roland Garros on Sunday, it will mark the sixth consecutive grand slam that has been won by either Sinner, the world No 1, or the world No 2, Alcaraz.
