Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have emerged as the next generation of star names on the ATP Tour, but Rafael Nadal is not convinced they have taken the game to the next level.

Alcaraz and Sinner have made Grand Slam breakthroughs in recent years, with both beating Novak Djokovic on their way to winning the titles at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

That has sparked suggestions that the next generation is ready to take the game to the next level, but 22-time Grand Slam king Nadal is not so sure.

Alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Nadal dominated the big tournaments in tennis for the best part of two decades, with their era slowly coming to an end as the sands of time caught up with the great champions.

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Yet Nadal argued Djokovic’s success in winning the Australian Open, French Open and US Open last year confirmed he is yet to be dethroned as the man to beat in men’s tennis, even as he approached his 37th birthday.

In an interview with the Tennis Channel, Nadal acknowledged the rise of new stars in the men’s game, but he argued the dominance of Djokovic in 2023 suggests they have not taken the game away from

“I don’t know. No idea. Of course, they are amazing players, but at the same time, if we put in perspective that Novak Djokovic won three of four Grand Slams and played the final of another one, I mean he’s from my generation.

“So of course they’re doing amazing things. But on the other hand, a player from my generation and similar. I mean, of course, little bit better numbers, but a similar level at the level that we played, for a long time, still having a lot of success.

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“That says that tennis has amazing new champions, but at the same time, things haven’t changed that much.”

Nadal’s comments have sparked suggestions that he was hinting Djokovic has had an easier run to Grand Slam titles since he was taken out of the game due to injuries and Federer announced his retirement in 2022.

That observation is backed up by facts, with Djokovic winning 12 of his 24 Grand Slam titles since 2018, when Federer and Nadal were on the slide for a variety of reasons.

Djokovic’s longevity at the top of the game is a hugely impressive facet of his legacy, but he has also admitted the challenge of winning big titles has changed since his biggest rivals made their exits.

“So everything happens in life for reason and I think that it’s beautiful for our sport that we had, amazing rivalries that have really marked an incredible two decades,” said Djokovic.

“I remember John McEnroe was saying in one of the documentaries that I’ve seen recently that when Bjorn Borg retired, he felt like part of him also retired, even though he kept going.

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“That’s, I must say, a similar feeling that I have with Roger retiring and Rafa not playing much at all. It’s a strange feeling.

“I mean, I try to find a new rival, and I had some great matches with Alcaraz and Sinner lately, but they still remain the two biggest rivals I’ve ever had.

“I don’t miss them, but I’m sure tennis misses them. These two are legends of our sport. They left a very great legacy both in tennis and in sports in general.”

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Djokovic looks certain to finish his career as the greatest tennis player of all-time statistically, but Nadal may well be among those who believes those figures could have a different complexion if he could have continued to play at the top of his game for a little longer.

Few would doubt Novak Djokovic’s position as one of, if not the, greatest male tennis player of all time.

The world No 1 has been untouchable at points throughout his career, with a record 24 Grand Slam titles to his name and over 400 weeks at the top of the ATP Rankings.

But while he has proved phenomenally difficult to test over the years, on a small handful of occasions players have been able to get the better of him.

And, though he did not lose all of those matches, on 12 occasions Djokovic has not been able to win even a single game in a set.

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We take a look at the 11 players to have achieved that incredibly rare feat, with only a certain Spaniard able to do it on multiple occasions.

Marat Safin – 2005 Australian Open

It has been almost two decades since a 17-year-old Djokovic made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, an event he would later dominate.

But as with most young players, it took some time for him to find his feet at the top of the game, and he was handed a chastening defeat in his first major main draw match.

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Having come through qualifying, Djokovic was beaten 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 by Marat Safin on that day, with the fourth seed eventually going on to claim the title.

Djokovic has completely dominated his head-to-head against Monfils over the years, winning all 19 of his contests against the Frenchman.

Not all of those matches have been easy though, and their first-ever meeting saw the Serbian pushed to the brink.

Monfils did not drop a game in the fourth set to force a decider, but Djokovic ultimately recovered to battle his way to a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5), 0-6, 7-6 triumph.

Richard Gasquet – 2007 Estoril Open

Another Frenchman that Djokovic has rarely been troubled by is Gasquet, who has won just once in his 14 matches against the world No 1.

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Their second meeting came in the final in Estoril 17 years ago, and after losing the first set, Gasquet responded with an emphatic second set.

But it was not to be for him, Djokovic regaining control in a 7-6(7), 0-6, 6-1 victory.

Nikolay Davydenko – 2008 Tennis Masters Cup

Djokovic and former world No 3 Davydenko contested a thrilling round-robin clash at the Masters Cup – now known as the ATP Finals – 16 years ago.

Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will play fewer ATP 1000 events as he edges towards the end of his career, but he appears to be preparing to hit the ground running at the start of the European clay court season.

The world No 1 has played just two matches since his defeat in the Australian Open semi-finals against Jannik Sinner, with his loss against world No 123 Luca Nardi in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters one of the biggest upsets he has suffered in his entire career.

That performance suggested Djokovic was lacking match practice after taking an extended break after he relinquished his Australian Open crown in Melbourne, but he made it clear that his tennis schedule would be greatly reduced as he pulled out of the Miami Open a few days later.

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“At this stage of my career, I’m balancing my private and professional schedule. I’m sorry that I won’t experience some of the best and most passionate fans in the world,” said Djokovic as he confirmed he would not be making the trip to Miami.

The reasons he gave sparked some suggestions that he has lost some of the fire that has driven him to relentless success over the course of his record-breaking career. 

Former world No 4 Henman then claimed that the 24-time Grand Slam champion not citing a physical reason for his withdrawal will lead to more speculation.

“It’s quite revealing in some respects because it could’ve been very easy to say, ‘my elbow’s a bit sore, heavy balls in the desert, and I’m gonna take time off’,” the six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist assessed.

“And no one would’ve said anything, but when you sort of elaborate down those avenues, I think it probably does lead a little bit more to speculation when you’re talking about your professional and personal life.

“So, fingers crossed he can sort out whatever the issues are and we can see him back on court in the not too distant future.”

Now it looks like Djokovic is preparing to start his preparations for the French Open by playing in the first ATP 1000 clay court event in Monte Carlo next month.

Djokovic, who is a resident in Monte Carlo, is a two-time champion in a tournament played in one of the most picturesque settings on the French Riviera.

Aside from his two wins in Monte Carlo, Djokovic has a relatively poor record at this tournament by his standards, as he has not got past the quarter-finals since he last lifted the trophy in 2015.

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If recent history is a gauge, Djokovic is unlikely to play at the Madrid Masters event, but he is likely to compete at the Rome Masters in what would be his final tournament before the defend of his French Open crown.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is also on the entry list in Monte Carlo, as he looks to bounce back from the back injury that ruled him out of playing at Indian Wells and Miami.

Nadal is an 11-time champion in Monte Carlo and it will be fascinating to see how the ‘King of Clay’ is shaping up ahead of what may be his final attempt at lifting a 15th French Open title this summer.

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World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, world No 4 Daniil Medvedev and last year’s Monte Carlo winner Andrey Rublev are also on the entry list for an event that gets underway on April 7.