LONDON — Former US Open champion Andy Roddick has warned that fitness issues could prevent Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz from chasing the records of the Big Three after the pair won fewer Grand Slams in 2026 than in 2024 and 2025. Sinner won Wimbledon and Alcaraz won the Australian Open, but Germany’s Alexander Zverev claimed the other two majors to end his wait for a Grand Slam title.
Speaking on the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick’, Roddick questioned whether either man can reach 20 majors. “He has entered the conversation because of how brilliant he is on the court of how many majors is he going to win? Is it 12, is it 15, can one of these two [Sinner and Alcaraz] get to 20 like the icons and the Big Three?” he said. He added: “But also, [Jannik] Sinner’s body went AWOL at the French Open for a different reason. He was able to win Wimbledon, so we know what his top level looks like. But in order to get to the pantheon of what he has deserved, the speculation for, your body has to hold up for a really long time.”
Roddick praised Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams for the longevity that guided them all to 20+ Grand Slam singles titles. “The one thing that amazes me, on top of the level of the Big Three and Serena, is just how long they did it. How long their bodies held up. Just for a second, let’s sidebar skill, mentality, the ability to play in pressure moments, but also just dragging your body across the finish line so many times,” he said. “We are seeing that it is not easy. I think Carlos and Jannik are showing that this year, on the back of three or four years of excellence and the best tennis in the world, there is always a bill to pay.” Alcaraz and Sinner shared the four Grand Slams in 2024 and 2025 but failed to repeat the feat in 2026, with Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon with a wrist injury and Sinner skipping the US Open with a knee problem.
Sinner has not played since Wimbledon and has ended his season early after withdrawing from the Shanghai Masters, while Alcaraz still has work to do in 2026. Roddick said Sinner’s camp should take a macro view of his fitness. “If you are on the fence of saying I have got to world number one, won all these Slams, won Wimbledon, but my body was rough. If you have a knee injury and you are also trying to figure out all of your other bodily issues in the heat,” he said. “Well, let’s say we take off until the end of the year with the knee injury and really invest the time in figuring out the other issue also. Can we kill two birds with one stone before we start in 2027? That would be a logical conversation if I’m in that camp. If you are not jumping out of your skin to get back on the court, let’s figure out all of this in one sitting rather than rushing back.”
Roddick added: “Without knowing anything, if I’m in that camp, I am looking at the macro view of all of the issues, rather than just this being a month-long knee injury and can I get back? I think that would be short-sighted.” Sinner had struggled in the heat at the French Open this year, suffering a shock second-round defeat against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, an issue Roddick believes he should address alongside his knee problem during the off-season.