Stan Wawrinka gives verdict on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz v ‘Big Three’ standard

Stan Wawrinka has seen just about every side of professional tennis, with a career spanning three decades.

Even though Wawrinka plans to retire in 2026, he is still showing flashes of his old self this year.

The Swiss veteran recently climbed back into the top 100 after wins over Hamad Medjedovic and Aleksandar Vukic.

As someone who has faced off against the best from different generations, Wawrinka is well-placed to weigh in on how the game has changed.

Stan Wawrinka believes the current generation is better than the last

Wawrinka did not hold back on his praise for today’s top players, sharing his thoughts before getting started at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Speaking to Reem Abulleil, the 40-year-old said: “I think the evolution of the game is, right now, the level is really high, that’s for sure.

“The new generation is always going to be better than the last generation. We can see that.”

He added: “A little bit changed with the conditions and the balls, the tournaments being a bit slower. The game style is a little bit different.

“But in general, I always try to improve myself, play my best tennis, and find a way against players against me.”

Asked if this generation tops one led by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Wawrinka did not hesitate in his answer.

He said: “Yeah, I think if you look at the level right now of Jannik and Carlos, they’ve been crazy high… crazy high level.

“You have Novak still in the fight with them. And as a fan of tennis in general, it’s amazing to watch that. I had the chance to play Jannik many times. Last few times was really tough. And hopefully I can play Carlos once before I stop playing.”

In Dubai, Wawrinka advanced to the second round after a straight-sets victory over wild card Benjamin Hassan. His next opponent will be the winner of the match between Daniil Medvedev and Jerry Shang.

Stan Wawrinka has yet to face Carlos Alcaraz in his career

Wawrinka has not crossed paths with Carlos Alcaraz on the ATP Tour just yet, though there is still time for that to change before he hangs up his racket.

He has, however, faced Sinner multiple times since their first encounter at the 2019 US Open.

Sinner was defeated by Wawrinka in their first two matches, both of which happened back in 2019. These came at the US Open and the Antwerp Open.

Since then, the Italian star has taken control of the matchup as he has hit his stride and Wawrinka has started winding down his career.

Sinner has beaten him at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as in Rotterdam and Indian Wells. Since those early wins, Wawrinka’s only managed to take two sets off the Italian across six matches.

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