Tennis in 2026 is a reminder of what Williams, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic made the sport forget

A New York Times analysis highlights how current tennis stars Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner are dominating the sport but with visible imperfections, contrasting them with the seemingly flawless dominance of Williams, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Sabalenka, the world No. 1 and two-time defending U.S. Open champion, has reached only one semifinal in seven tournaments since winning the Indian Wells and Miami Open double. Meanwhile, world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, who had been poised to overtake Sabalenka in the rankings, aggravated an Achilles injury and retired from her Cincinnati Open quarterfinal match against Świątek, putting her U.S. Open participation in doubt.