Opinion The Third Edit: After Federer & Nadal, the Alcaraz & Sinner takeover

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have divided the last five Grand Slam singles titles between themselves. It may be too early to say so, but the smiling Spaniard and ice-cool Italian may be forming a duopoly on the lines of what one saw in the initial dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Like that period in tennis history, their relative strengths are clearly demarcated. Federer seemed unbeatable on grass and hard courts, while Nadal was unparalleled on red clay. Now, Sinner thrives on hard courts while Alcaraz is the better of the two on grass and clay.

Sinner’s successful defence of his Australian Open title seemed almost routine once he passed a medical scare midway into the tournament. He cruised past his quarterfinal, semifinal and final without dropping a set, with only two of the nine sets even getting to tie-breakers. But the current World No 1 may still have some room for improvement. He is the prototype modern tennis player, with his big frame not compromising his mobility. With an enormous wingspan and reach, he thrives on the predictable pace and bounce expected on artificial surfaces. He can hit the ball harder and more consistently than his contemporaries. But unlike his titles at the Australian Open and US Open, Sinner has not made it past the semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The natural variation that clay and grass bring need a bit more guile and inventive shot-making, where Alcaraz is probably a bit ahead.

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Where does this leave the field for the rest of the season and beyond? On the evidence of what transpired in Melbourne over the past fortnight, Novak Djokovic is still the biggest challenger in the short and medium term. Djokovic, in his quarterfinal victory over Alcaraz, showed he still has the nous and craft required, but age makes it difficult for him in seven best-of-five matches in two weeks. In such a scenario, one may have to wait for the emergence of a genuine challenger, in the way Djokovic himself came out of the shadows of Nadal and Federer.