"The distance between Alcaraz and Sinner and the others is the largest we have ever seen"

Carlos Navarro | 6 Mar 2026 | 21.47

How long will the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner last? For Querrey and Gilbert, there is still a lot left. Source: Getty

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The continued dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has sparked all kinds of analysis over the past two seasons. The distribution of Grand Slams between them, turning it into an exclusive hunting ground with the key solely in their hands, has left them with a substantial ranking advantage compared to the rest of the competitors. However, it is now the Spaniard who has surged ahead due to a fantastic start of the season (he is still undefeated).

The slight doubts of Jannik Sinner, defeated in combat in Doha against Mensik and in Australia against Djokovic, are not yet enough for different personalities in the circuit to remove him from the top spot. Monopoly or binomial? For Sam Querrey and Brad Gilbert, present at the Indian Wells 2026, there are still two individuals who rule the circuit with an iron fist... and not only that: the real topic of conversation is how unreachable they seem to be for the rest.

This feeling gives rise to names like Sam himself, in a conversation with Sports Illustrated, making a statement with historical implications. "The gap between Alcaraz and Sinner and the rest is much greater than the one between Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and the others. The gap these two guys have created is the largest gap we have ever seen in the history of this sport." An assertion that foretells many more glorious evenings for the young men from El Palmar and San Candido.

Querrey and Gilbert reflect on the role of the Medvedev and Tsitsipas generation and on who could be the "third man" to challenge them

This is where Brad, a circuit legend and former coach of names like Andre Agassi, does not forget about a certain Novak Djokovic in this equation. "Yes, I feel the gap is quite significant. We have the one and the two, then there's the three, and then there is a very large gap between the four to ten and the previous three. In men's tennis, that gap is quite wider, but they've earned it. They've earned it after doing what they've done to the rest. We're waiting for that third person to emerge, but unfortunately, that person is still a 38-year-old Djokovic. He is still, clearly, the best among the rest, especially with how consistent he has been in Grand Slams lately."

Many would question the role that names like Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas can still play, once luxurious lieutenants and major candidates to conquer Grand Slams. For a moment, they seemed to be the alternative to the twilight of the Big Three... but the space that Carlos and Jannik have carved out suggests that their opportunity may have slipped away. "I think a lot of people thought everything was fine, and there would be a window of four or five years in which Tsitsipas, Zverev, and all these guys could grab a handful of Grand Slams. Some got one. However, we were all surprised that, almost out of nowhere, these two 20-year-old guys started dominating the circuit like this." There doesn't seem to be much hope for the rest in the eyes of the Americans, who predict a devastating dominance by Carlos and Jannik in the short and medium term. How do you see it?

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "La distancia que hay entre Alcaraz y Sinner y los demás es la más grande que jamás hemos visto"