Carlos Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero responds to Novak Djokovic’s desire for a 3rd player to challenge Jannik Sinner & Spaniard

Carlos Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero weighed in on Novak Djokovic calling for the rise of a third player to challenge the present-day dominance of the Spaniard and Jannik Sinner in men’s tennis. From the beginning of 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the spoils at the Majors, and they have now contested the men’s singles finals at three consecutive Slams.

Ahead of kickstarting his 2025 US Open campaign, Djokovic spoke up about a third player potentially giving Alcaraz and Sinner a run for their money going forward. The Serb likened the situation to his own meteoric rise in tennis, and how it challenged the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The 24-time Major champion said:

“I think their rivalry is without a doubt, the best one we have at the moment. It looks like it is going to stay like that for some time. Then you have other young players that are definitely going to challenge and hopefully someone can get in the mix. There are players that are able to have that joker spot, that third spot. I kind of empathise with the third guy, because I was in those shoes with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

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Following Carlos Alcaraz's 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Jannik Sinner in the men's singles final at Flushing Meadows, the Spaniard's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero interacted with reporters at a press conference. Here, Ferrero was quizzed about his feelings on Novak Djokovic's admission. The coach acknowledged that having another player in the mix for the big titles would make things even more entertaining for fans.

"I don't know. I mean, it's tough to say. I think that if we have more players fighting for the big titles, for people it's going to be even more entertaining," Ferrero said.

However, he joked that if a third player was to emerge, it would make things "worse" for the Carlos Alcaraz camp. Ferrero though, went on to welcome the possibility.

"For us, it's going to be worse, because we have to mix the tournaments, but yeah, it's always welcome, all the players that arrive and play at a high level, and I think people will. People learn from these kinds of matches. They know where the level is and where they have to go, so, for sure, they're going to try," he added.

Novak Djokovic last player not named Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner to win men's singles title at a Major

At the 2023 US Open, Novak Djokovic downed Daniil Medvedev in the final to win his 24th Major title. Earlier that year, the Serb had also won the Australian Open and French Open titles. He came close to winning Wimbledon as well, but was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Since the 2024 Australian Open though, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the Slams. While the Spaniard won the 2024 and 2025 French Open, 2024 Wimbledon Championships and this year's US Open, the Italian won the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open, last year's US Open, and the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

Remarkably, Novak Djokovic, at the age of 38, is still widely regarded as the player that can snap the duopoly. However, the Serb himself admitted after his recent semifinal loss to Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows that it's getting harder and harder for him to keep up with the physicality of the 22-year-old Spaniard and the 24-year-old Italian.

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Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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