The rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner will be at the center of the debate
The rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be at the center of the debate for at least the next ten years. The Spaniard and the Italian are the best players in the world at the moment, while the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is in the downward trajectory.
Sinner hasn’t been as precocious as Carlitos, but in the last nine months he has achieved incredible results by becoming the new number 1 in the world and winning his first major in Australia. Alcaraz – instead – won the French Open and Wimbledon demonstrating a completeness that has no equal in the male tour at this time.
Behind them, young players (Next Gens) do not seem to have the same level at the moment. Holger Rune has regressed in the last year, does not find the right continuity and has changed several coaches giving signs of confusion. The 2022 Paris-Bercy champion was decisively defeated by Djokovic at Wimbledon, playing a poor match at Centre Court. Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda are too discontinuous, while Joao Fonseca is still very young.
Alcaraz and Sinner could face each other again at the Paris Olympics, which will take place on the red clay of the French Open in just over a week. Both will play singles and doubles: the Spaniard will join the 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, while the Italian will play alongside Wimbledon semi-finalist Lorenzo Musetti.
Marc Rosset on Alcaraz and Sinner
During a recent interview with L’Equipe, former ATP ace Marc Rosset analyzed the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner: “Behind Sinner and Alcaraz, I find that there is an abyssal void, with players too stereotyped. Alcaraz is now the only one who really does a lot of different things, and I think that he and Sinner could have a boulevard in front of them. If others don’t ask themselves the right questions very quickly about what to add to their game, then you shouldn’t come and say, ‘We didn’t get lucky, we fell at the same time as them…’”
Jannik and Carlos have proved to be a step ahead of the others, but it is not excluded that some players can explode in the near future. Sinner himself struggled to find the right path and had to change his entire team before starting to succeed at high levels.
During an interview after his triumph in London, Alcaraz paid tribute to his great rival Jannik Sinner: “Being there with Jannik at 22 and 21 at the top of the rankings and winning Grand Slams is good for tennis to have new faces winning big things and competing in major tournaments. I am very happy to have him there. We have a great rivalry as young players emerging in the fight for these things. It’s great for the sport, for tennis, and for the players as well.”
Compared to Alcaraz, Sinner has been shown to struggle more when the matches stretch a lot or reach the fifth set. Recently, Toni Nadal opened up on this rivalry: “Alcaraz is better, he does more things on the court than Sinner. I see Alcaraz with more options to do more things. Sinner has a lot of control, although Alcaraz is a little better mentally. Both are equally strong on all surfaces as the game has become more consistent.”
ATP legend Boris Becker also reflected on this topic: “It is impossible to say which of the two players will dominate tennis in the years to come. From a young age, at 22 and 21, they both had pressure. If we compare them with Roger Federer, (Rafael) Nadal and Novak Djokovic, (they have) to play for another 15 years. Maybe then we can know who is better in five years as they evolve and new players and rivals emerge.”
The Olympics are close
Alcaraz returned to training on red soil after taking a few days off, while Sinner has already returned to the court in Monte Carlo after taking a short vacation in Sardinia with his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya.
The Italian ace want to be ready for the Olympics: “It’s only every four years! You never know what can happen from one edition to the next. That’s one of my main goals. It will be my first experience of the Games, so I hope to meet other athletes; it will be amazing. I missed the last Games because I wasn’t feeling well, so I’m even more excited this time.
I have been working hard. The only thing you can control from start to finish of a match is the mental aspect. I always try to control my mind to help me on the court. It’s pressure, but it’s good pressure. I’m happy to feel it and have a normal life at the same time. When I leave the court and go home, I am a normal person.”
