"Novak Djokovic is physically worn out & he knows it": Ex-World No. 1 'afraid' of Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner's dominance lasting for years

The former World No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov opened up about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's domination in the tennis world. Reflecting on the status of the tennis community, he said that the duo might lead the sport for a long time.

Alcaraz and Sinner are the center of attention of the 2025 tennis season, considering their terrific showdown in the Majors. The duo have locked horns with each other five times in finals this year so far, with the Spaniard winning four of them. Their most recent match was at the US Open finals, where the World No. 1 dominated the round, claiming the title.

Considering their dominance over the tennis community, Kafelnikov spoke about them being at the top for years in a conversation with The Tennis Gazette. Highlighting Novak Djokovic's physical status, he said that the duo was at the 'peak' of their careers.

“It all depends on them, but as I see it now, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will rule for a very long time, because at the moment, nobody can compete with them. Neither Alexander Zverev nor Novak Djokovic. Unfortunately, Novak is physically worn out, and he knows it. And when playing at Grand Slams, with best-of-three sets, it is very difficult for him to compete with young guys, Sinner and Alcaraz, who are at the peak of their powers," said Kafelnikov.

He added:

“I’m afraid that we will see this dominance for the next five years.”

In the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Alcaraz and Sinner have competed in eight Grand Slams, and the head-to-head stands equal at 4-4.

Carlos Alcaraz opened up about his bond with Jannik Sinner

In July 2025, Carlos Alcaraz sat for a conversation with Gazzetta, where he spoke about his relationship with his on-court rival, Jannik Sinner. Revealing that they were good friends, he said that they shared a great bond off the field.

Along with this, Alcaraz said that he had great respect for him and called him a nice person.

“Tennis is a special sport that allows you to be great rivals on the court and, at the same time, to respect each other. Sinner and I are good friends, we can talk about a lot of things off the field. I have great respect for him, he is a nice person, I’m sure we will always be able to maintain this relationship,” Carlos Alcaraz said.

Ahead of the US Open, Jannik Sinner got the better of Carlos Alcaraz at the Wimbledon Championships, breaking his two-year streak, by registering a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win against the World No. 1.