Hubert Hurkacz gives his verdict on if current ATP superstars play at a higher level than in the Big Three era

Having competed in both eras, Polish tennis star Hubert Hurkacz has chimed in on the debate of whether the top-ranked players of today's game have raised the standard of playing when compared to the era of the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

World No.1 Jannik Sinner and No.2 Carlos Alcaraz have dominated the ATP Tour over the past two years, with one of the two winning the last seven Grand Slam titles. The duo met in two consecutive Grand Slam finals this season, with Alcaraz prevailing at Roland Garros whereas Sinner got his revenge by defeating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final last weekend.

Hurkacz believes there is a significant difference in the level of play

The former World No.6 is currently out of action after having undergone surgery this month. However, Hurkacz was able to chime in on the debate of which era played superior tennis, having faced the duo of Alcaraz and Sinner, in addition to playing against the Big Three and their contemporaries.

"It’s difficult to say who wins when they are all playing their best tennis," said Hurkacz at an Adidas event in London. "I feel like the level is growing every single year, and obviously, we can say the level is better than it was ten years ago, but that is not to say Roger, Rafa, Novak and Andy could not get to where we are now.
"They also improved every year and raised the bar, so if they were playing now, they would still be improving. What we can say is Jannik and Carlos are playing at an incredible level now, and it is up to the rest of us to work hard to keep up with them.
"That’s why I wake up every morning and work so hard to try and reach those levels. They are setting a big target now, so that is what we have to aim for."

Alcaraz leads Sinner in Grand Slam titles, having won five to the Italian's four. However, the duo are likely to add several more to their resume should they maintain their incredible form.