Tennis has been rubbing its eyes for a couple of years. Not even the most optimistic of all would have imagined that immediately after the best generation in history, two players capable of taking up their baton would appear. and look forward to a rivalry that can one day be compared to those that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have had – and still have.

Years ago there was a lot of fear in the racquet industry about the future after the Big Three. But that future is more than assured with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as standard bearers of the new generation. Yours is the present and yours is the futureat least until someone or something appears to say otherwise.

“They are following in the footsteps of the Big Three in terms of level. I hope Roger, Novak and Rafa are not listening, but in terms of level, when Sinner and Alcaraz are in their prime, I don’t think anyone has played better tennis“, a legend in this racket like Mats Wilander has dared to say.

Their last battle, a final of the ATP 500 in Beijing that ended with a 6-7 (6-8), 6-4 and 7-6 (7-3) for Alcaraz after three hours and 21 minutes, confirms that they are them the chosen ones. At just 23 and 21 years old, Sinner and Alcaraz They have already faced each other ten timeswith a balance of 5-5, and they have given away several games that are in the newspaper archive.

Tennis needs a rivalry like this to keep the current audience and engage the new generations.increasingly reluctant to sit and watch a game for two or three hours. In the era of immediacy and highlightsSinner and Alcaraz are the general captains. And the great game in Beijing was one more demonstration.

“When Jannik and I face each other, I think it’s a very good thing for tennis. We played very intense games, very even, with great points and good exchanges“Alcaraz said in Beijing, where hours after the final he took a private flight with Sinner to Shanghai. “Probably, people who don’t watch tennis will start watching it or even playing it thanks to this type of matches. I think it’s a pretty good thing for the sport.“.

Even better would be if more actors appeared on the scene, just as the figure of Djokovic arose from the duo formed by Federer and Nadal.. At the moment, there is no one born in the 2000s who dares to look at Alcaraz and Sinner. Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti are perhaps the closest, but they are light years away.

Without that someone who can stop them, it can only be something. A drop in performance? Could be. Injuries? This enemy always ends up appearing. But Right now the main threat to the rivalry is the shadow of doping that hangs over the Italian’s red hair.

“After 20 years of incredible matches between the Big Three, I didn’t think it was possible to have another such incredible rivalry so soon. The Alcaraz-Sinner is gold for tennis. In the next ten years we will see many great matches with these two. Hopefully. Don’t let the AMA ruin it“Brad Gilbert, former coach of legends such as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray, wrote on his Twitter account this Wednesday.

after 20 years of amazing matches from the big 3 didn’t think 💭 it was possible this soon to have another amazing rivalry, Escape from Alcaraz vs Sin City 🌆 is the gold standard in tennis 🎾 here’s to the next 10 years of these 2 with tons of great 👍 matches, hopefully 🙏…

— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) October 2, 2024

That “don’t let WADA ruin it” perfectly sums up the predicament the tennis industry is in. and provides a glimpse of everything that will be at stake when the hearings of the case begin in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). And although the ATP breathed a sigh of relief at the end of August, when the International Tennis Integrity Agency left Sinner without sanction after his two positive tests in March for clostebol, the case is still not closed.

The ITIA accepted number one’s alibi, which He said that the prohibited substance had reached his body due to contamination in which he did not commit any type of negligence.: His physio suffered a cut on his finger, he applied a healing cream with clostebol and then gave the player a massage without gloves.

All the documentation was then analyzed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, which exercised its right to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. The AMA demands a sanction of between one and two years for the number one, something that would be a dagger not only for Sinner, but also for tennis and for that rivalry called to mark an era. The ball is in the court of the TAS. Part of the future of tennis depends on his decision.

• Carlos Alcaraz

• Jannik Sinner