Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev have been told that their chances of winning a Grand Slam are all but over by former Australian Open finalist Arnaud Clement.
Initially part of the original next generation of players, Tsitsipas and Zverev were expected to take over the baton from the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and dominate the sport.
Both won the ATP Finals during the early stages of their careers with Zverev going on to finish runner-up at the 2020 US Open and reached a career-high NO 2 in the ATP Rankings while Tsitispas was a finalist at the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open with career-high of No 3.
Rublev, meanwhile, have often been there or thereabouts at the Grand Slams, but he is yet to make it past a quarter-final and only has a career-high of No 5.
The trio, though, have been beaten to a Grand Slam title by players younger than them with Carlos Alcaraz winning the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon while Jannik Sinner became the newest major winner on Sunday after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.
Former world No 10 Clement, who lost the 2001 Australian Open final against Andre Agassi, believes a new Big Four has been established in men’s tennis with Sinner joining Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz and Medvedev at the top.
The Frenchman praised the 22-year-old Sinner for improving his fitness with the results clear for all to see as he also had some blunt remarks about Tsitsipas, Zverev and Rublev.
“There is a top 4 and it is far above the rest of the world,” he told L’Equipe. “Before, in complicated matches, his physique could weigh him down. He now he can maintain the distance and the intensity.
“I no longer put Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev or Rublev in the same category as him. I still don’t see those guys lifting a Grand Slam trophy.”
But while the Djokovic-Alcaraz and Alcaraz-Sinner rivalries have excited fans, Clement feels it is important also give Medvedev credit.
The reigning world No 3 has five Grand Slam runners-up trophies to go with his 2021 US Open title.
Clement added: “We must not forget Medvedev. We don’t talk about it, but it’s still there. A year ago we only saw the Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry. Not now. The good thing is that an Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry has also been added. And for a long time!”