Mats Wilander disrespects Big 3 with comments about Alcaraz and Sinner rivalry

Former world no. 1 believes the level of Alcaraz and Sinner surpasses the likes of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
Mats Wilander interviewing Djokovic at the 2022 French Open
Mats Wilander interviewing Djokovic at the 2022 French Open / John Berry/GettyImages
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Mats Wilander had a ton of success on the court, capturing seven singles Grand Slams in his career, but his newest off-court opinion is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. In one of the worst tennis takes in recent memory, Wilander believes that when Alcaraz and Sinner are playing at their best, their level surpasses that of the Big 3.

Wilander's take comes after Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the China Open final, taking the match 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) in three hours and 21 minutes. The final was played at an incredible level but is incomparable to the greatest matches within the Big 3 rivalry.

The so-called "Eurosport expert" will not get any love from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic fans after this latest quote. In sports, we are always looking for the next stars who will take over the game for many years to come. In doing so, we are quick to forget about the greatness of past champions.

Mats Wilander shows lack of tennis knowledge by disrespecting the Big 3

However, Wilander has taken this to new heights, disrespecting the three greatest players of all time even before two of them have retired. Did he not just watch Djokovic capture gold at the Paris Olympics?

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Are Alcaraz and Sinner amazing players who deserve the attention they are getting? Yes, of course. However, they are nowhere near the level of the Big 3 yet, and it is yet to be determined if they will ever get to that level. We, as tennis fans, have been spoiled with the three best players of all time in the last 15-20 years, but it seems as though Wilander was not watching any of those Nadal vs Djokovic 4+ hour matches, or the 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer.

I am just going to assume Eurosport and Wilander wanted to make headlines by having him give an outlandish take on the current level of the sport. If that is the case, then it certainly worked. Now, if Wilander truly believes that Alcaraz and Sinner's level has already succeeded that of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic in their prime, then we should stop listening to the "Eurosport expert" moving forward.

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