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NEW STANDARD: GREG RUSEDSKI SAYS CARLOS ALCARAZ, JANNIK SINNER ARE NEXT-LEVEL GREATS

Novak Djokovic questions claims that Alcaraz and Sinner have reached a "higher plane." But expert Greg Rusedski argues that each generation improves the standard.

New Standard: Greg Rusedski Says Carlos Alcaraz,  Jannik Sinner Are Next-Level Greats
Rusedski Compares Alcaraz-Sinner to Past Generations

Novak Djokovic questioned claims that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have moved tennis to a higher plane. He thinks such statements disrespect the achievements of the Big 3. But former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski told Tennis365 that the new Big 2 are special.

Djokovic pushed back on reports that Alcaraz and Sinner are playing at a level beyond what he, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer produced.

That trio won 66 Grand Slam titles. Some say the new dominant duo hit the ball harder and more consistently than the Big 3.

Rusedski chimed in, saying each generation ups the standard. That's why Alcaraz and Sinner are already considered among the sport's greats.

"Each generation gets better, and that's what we see with Alcaraz and Sinner," Rusedski said to Tennis365 before the release of his new podcast, Off Court with Greg.

Sports science is better. Methods are better. Racket tech is better. We say Alcaraz and Sinner are playing tennis we've never seen, but the greats of the past would rise to this level now if they had the same conditions.

My generation had Pete Sampras. He reached 14 Grand Slam titles to break the record, and everyone said it would never be broken.

Then came Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, who each won 20 or more Grand Slam titles. Include Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, too.

That time had three all-time greats, and everyone wondered what would happen when Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic were gone.

Then Alcaraz and Sinner show up. Sometimes there's a gap before new players dominate, but it happened fast with these two.

Rusedski thinks Alcaraz and Sinner have a grip on the sport because they bring distinct qualities.

Alcaraz burst onto the scene and won fast, like Rafael Nadal, he said. He's been great for the sport, and six Grand Slam titles are incredible.

Sinner uses his skiing skills to move so well on the court. I've never seen a player move like that.

Other players say they hit the ball so hard on both sides. Alex de Minaur said they hit it harder than Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

Their Roland Garros final this year was among the best matches ever, including the Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic match-ups.

That says we're seeing two players at another level. But whether they win as much as the 'Big 3' is a different question.

You have to respect Roger, Rafa, and Novak's longevity and achievements. Their records will be hard to break.

BREAKING: AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEEDING AT RISK! CHECK THE NEW 18-TOURNAMENT RANKING RULE NOW

The 2026 ATP season begins with a major rule change. Rankings now count only 18 tournaments, causing points to drop for the Top 10.

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Which tennis superstars just lost points to the new system?

The 2026 ATP Tour season kicks off with the United Cup this Friday. Everyone's watching to see what happens in men's tennis this year.

There's a ranking rule change that started late in 2025 that everyone will be dealing with.

Here’s a breakdown of the change and who it's impacting:

What's the New Rule?

Before 2026, a player's ATP ranking could include points from 19 tournaments: the four Grand Slams, the eight mandatory Masters 1000 events, and their next seven best results.

These could be from the Monte Carlo Masters, ATP 500, ATP 250, or Challenger events. Qualifying for the ATP Finals was a bonus.

Now, only 18 events count. Rankings will only include the four Grand Slams, eight mandatory Masters events, and a player's six best results, plus the ATP Finals if they qualify.

Also, the top 30 players only need to play four ATP 500 events, instead of five.

Who's Affected in the Top 10?

This change took place recently, and seven players in the top 10 lost points. Their positions stayed the same this time, except for the players who are stated.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Jack Draper were not affected.

Alexander Zverev lost 50 points, Novak Djokovic dropped 10, Felix Auger-Aliassime lost 55, Taylor Fritz dropped 50, Alex de Minaur lost 55, Lorenzo Musetti dropped 50, and Ben Shelton lost 10 points.

What About the Rest of the Rankings?

The top players are mostly okay, but the further down the rankings you go, the more change you'll see.

In the top 20, Jiri Lehecka is the only one impacted. He lost 10 points and fell to No. 18. Karen Khachanov moved up to 17th.

Luciano Darderi and Tallon Griekspoor switched places and are now ranked 25th and 26th. These were the only changes in the top 30.

Outside the top 30, there were bigger moves.

Jaume Munar jumped three spots to No. 33, and Corentin Moutet moved up to 34th. Brandon Nakashima and Stefanos Tsitsipas each fell two spots.

Now ranked 35th and 36th, Nakashima and Tsitsipas might have a harder time getting seeded for the Australian Open.

Pablo Carreno Busta dropped the most, falling from 89th to 93rd.

IMMEDIATE: SHOCKING DETAILS BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ-FERRERO SPLIT; WILL HE JOIN RIVAL JANNIK SINNER

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has shocked tennis by splitting with Juan Carlos Ferrero. Learn the real reason behind the breakup.

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Ferrero Confirms No Communication With Alcaraz Since Dec 17

Tennis fans were shocked when Carlos Alcaraz and his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, split. Ferrero has now said whether they've talked since.

Even though Alcaraz is only 22, his time with Ferrero is one of tennis' best. The 2003 French Open champ started coaching Alcaraz, who was a young, promising player in 2019.

With Ferrero's help, Alcaraz became a superstar and one of the most exciting players to watch. He's won six Grand Slams and finished 2025 as the world's top player, ahead of Jannik Sinner.

The only major title they didn't win together was the Australian Open. Even though it's still a few weeks away, people recently saw Alcaraz's outfit for the 2026 tournament in Melbourne. It's bright and colourful.

Alcaraz had a great 2025, winning two more Grand Slams, so the split was even more surprising. It sounds like disagreements between Ferrero and others close to Alcaraz caused the change.

In an interview, Ferrero answered a question everyone's been asking: Have he and Alcaraz been in touch since they stopped working together?

We haven't talked yet because he needs to relax so he can train. Once things calm down, we'll talk, and everything will be fine.

Ferrero's nice words about Alcaraz suggest they'll talk again. He thinks they can still be friends after all they've achieved.

I've learned a lot from Carlos. He's a kid with amazing charisma. He's always loyal and honest, tells the truth, and works really hard. I'm happy because once things settle, I'm sure we'll keep talking, remembering all the things we did together, and stay friends.

It must be tough for Ferrero not to be coaching Alcaraz after working so hard to make him one of the best. Taking some time before talking to the 22-year-old might also be good for him.

Juan Carlos Ferrero was also asked about coaching Jannik Sinner after splitting from Carlos Alcaraz.

Since 2024, one of Ferrero's main jobs has been helping Alcaraz figure out how to beat Jannik Sinner. Together, they've won every men's singles Grand Slam in the last two seasons.

Now that Ferrero isn't Alcaraz's coach, he was asked if he'd consider joining Sinner's team, which would be a huge change in tennis.

Ferrero didn't say no. Instead, he said he needed time to get used to not coaching Alcaraz. Sinner is still coached by Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, after Cahill changed his mind about retiring at the end of 2025.

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