'I've faced tennis' best - this is how Alcaraz and Sinner compare to Djokovic and Federer'

Dominic Thiem has claimed that tennis sensations Jannik Sinner and are just as difficult to play and beat as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in their prime. The Austrian athlete announced his early retirement in 2024 due to injury, as he revealed that quitting wasn't ever in his plans - but he "doesn't miss tennis much" now. The former champion discussed the incredible talent that there is in the sport right now, comparing the young stars of today to the tennis greats of before.

believes winning a match in 2025 would be harder than it was when he won the US Open in 2020, and even claimed the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz are just as difficult to beat as sporting icons and Federer. The 31-year-old said: "Today it's even harder than five years ago.

"To do it today, you have to beat Sinner or Alcaraz, if not both. Both are as difficult to beat as Djokovic and Federer were in their day."

Djokovic and Federer were part of an exclusive club known as the 'Big Three' in tennis, which also included Rafael Nadal. Between them, the tennis icons won a whopping 66 Grand Slams, dominating the sport from the early 2000s to just a couple of years ago.

Nadal and Federer have since retired from professional tennis, with the Swiss star hanging up his racket in 2022 and Spanish sensation Nadal calling it quits in 2024. However, Djokovic is still performing to a decent standard in tennis to this day, and most recently won his first Olympic medal at the 2024 Games in Paris.

Meanwhile, both Sinner and Alcaraz debuted on the professional tennis scene towards the end of the 2010s - and have become formidable opponents on the ATP Tour and in major tournaments. The Italian youngster has won both the US and Australian Open since his debut in 2018, and also secured the Davis Cup in 2023 and 2024.

Alcaraz is a French Open, US Open and Wimbledon winner, meaning he is one Australian Open triumph off of completing all four Grand Slam single tournaments in tennis. The 21-year-old has also made it to the final of the Olympic Games, only being bested in Paris by veteran star Djokovic in 2024.

Thiem praised both tennis stars for their high level of quality on the courts, but did concede that they aren't the only formidable rivals in the sport right now. He added: "Now we have Sinner and Alcaraz. If they're not injured or out for some other reason, you usually have to beat one or both of them, and that's incredibly difficult.

"There are also some other really good players, like Taylor Fritz, when he plays at a really high level, like at the US Open. Winning a Grand Slam hasn't become any easier compared to five or ten years ago."