Novak Djokovic believes it is great for tennis to have the new rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but does not think it can be compared to the 'big three'.
The pair have been locked in a battle for the world number one ranking, with Sinner's triumph at the Paris Masters last week seeing him reclaim the top spot.
And the last three grand slam finals have been contested between Sinner and Alcaraz, with the Spaniard triumphing in a Roland-Garros epic as well as the US Open, while the Italian was victorious at Wimbledon.
Djokovic is looking forward to seeing them go head-to-head in more tussles in years to come, but does not believe it is comparable to his great rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
"I've spent most of my career
with my two greatest rivals, Nadal and Federer," he told the ATP website.
"Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are also my rivals at the moment, but they're so young. I have 15 years of difference on the tour with them!
"Our rivalry is a few years old, and I've had 20 years of rivalry with the other guys.
"It's not really comparable, but it's great that there's a new big rivalry in our sport between Sinner and Alcaraz. "
Blondcaraz back in Torino and bringing the #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/vv8BUgUPCE
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Djokovic has 24 grand slam titles, the most of any male player on the ATP tour, while Nadal finished his career with 22, two more than Federer.
So far, Sinner and Alcaraz have combined for a total of 10 (four and six, respectively), winning each of the last eight majors between them.
Djokovic remains one title shy of becoming the outright record holder for grand slams (currently level with Margaret Court), but he made it to the semi-finals in all four majors this year.
Having slimmed down his schedule over the last year, Djokovic has dropped down the rankings, but noted what it feels like to be at the top of the game.
"It feels great, but it also feels a bit lonely," he said. "You feel like you are the hunted one. It changes the perception and the approach.
"Obviously, it's the ultimate achievement. Being number one in any sport in any achievement is the ultimate achievement.
"It's something that I dreamed of when I was a kid: winning Wimbledon and being No. 1 in the world.
"When you achieve that, you understand then that there is a different dimension and approach of staying there. You all of a sudden have to defend the position, rather than chasing it.
"It's a great feeling, obviously, but at the same time, you want to stay there, so you feel a little bit defensive at times, because you want to hold on to it.
"Once you're thinking about 'I'm the No. 1, everyone wants to take this position away from me', you create this unnecessary stress and pressure on yourself. "
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