"This is embarrassing";"Just an absolute clickbait lie" - Fans reject Mats Wilander putting Alcaraz & Sinner above Federer, Nadal, Djokovic's levels

Fans of the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic) were incensed after Swedish legend Mats Wilander claimed the quality of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's tennis to be the highest. A lot of fans disagree with the Swede, with many highlighting the prowess of the three powerhouses during their primes.

Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are widely regarded as three of the greatest tennis players ever to play the sport. Over the years, the three amassed a massively devoted fan following, to the point that each of the players fandoms always tried to one up each other in the debate of who was the greatest of all time among the three.

However, Mats Wilander, who works as an expert for Eurosport, made a bold claim that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, when at their best, were head and shoulders above the rest.

"I hope Roger, Novak, and Rafa are not listening, but in terms of level, when Sinner and Alcaraz are at their best, there is no way anyone has ever played better tennis."

These comments came after the two men played a thrilling final at the 2024 China Open, which went all the way. It was Alcaraz who came back from a set down to clinch the three-hour, 20-minute battle (6) 6-7, 6-6, 7-6(3).

Fans of the Big 3, who are usually on the opposite ends of the pole, came together on X (formerly Twitter) to react to Wilander's comments. Out of three legends, one has retired (Federer), and the other two are slowly moving towards the end of their remarkable careers. However, one Djokovic fan shed light on the 37-year-old tennis prowess by stating the match statistics between the rising stars and the Joker.

"Babahahaha jesus christ. This is embarrassing. 37 yr old Novak beats Alcarez & last year he was wiping the floor with them. He also got positive h2h against both. He is 37!!!! Imagine what a prime Novak would do," the fan said.

Another fan quipped Wilander made these remarks in order to gain some traction.

"This is just an absolute click bait lie lol," the fan quipped.

Here are some other reactions from the fans.

"Man this guy is off his rocker. Nothing compared to the battles between Novak and Rafa when both were in their prime," a fan opined.

"The establishment are literally seething with recent events! One of the craziest takes you will see for a while," a fan said.

"Everyone plays their best on occasions, it's how often you play your best that made Roger, Rafa & Novak great champions over many years and set them apart," a fan mentioned.

"Rafa and Novak is the highest level of tennis played," another fan opined.

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How Novak Djokovic has fared against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner so far

Djokovic (Source: Getty)

Despite Mats Wilander's comments, it is interesting to note that Novak Djokovic boasts a favorable head-to-head against both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Serb has battled it out against the two young stars at the highest stages of the sport, including the Majors, Nitto ATP Finals, and also the Olympics.

Against Sinner, the 24-time Maor champion holds a 4-3 lead. He has claimed huge wins over the Italian at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023 and also defeated him in the final of the Nitto ATP Finals. However, Sinner has won their latest two meetings, which include one at the 2024 Australian Open semifinals.

Against Alcaraz, Djokovic also boasts a 4-3 win. Out of their seven meetings, seven have been summit clashes. The Serb lost to the Spaniard in the final of Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024 but managed to get his revenge on both occasions with a win in the 2023 Cincinnati Masters final and the 2024 Paris Olympics final, which was their latest meeting.