Carlos Alcaraz stated he has little question that top-ranked Jannik Sinner is the very best participant on the earth as the 2 younger gamers proceed to put the foundations for an epic rivalry.
Alcaraz, the 21-year-old world No. 3, gained the French Open and Wimbledon final 12 months, splitting the 4 Grand Slam tournaments with 23-year-old Sinner.
Alcaraz additionally improved his head-to-head report in opposition to Sinner to 6-4, beating him thrice in as many conferences.
Sinner, in the meantime, gained 73 of his 79 matches in 2024, together with the US Open and Australian Open, which he efficiently defended at Melbourne Park final month.
“Jannik is the very best proper now,” Alcaraz instructed reporters Sunday in Rotterdam, Netherlands. “He has misplaced solely 4 or 5 matches prior to now 12 months, so it is loopy. I do know folks say who’s higher out of us. They are saying Jannik is best or some say me. It is all dialogue.
“However for me, I believe for a tennis participant, we’ve to face Jannik and he is successful every thing. He is targeted each time, so I believe he is the very best. Each match he performs, he makes the ultimate or lifts the trophy.”
Alcaraz’s feedback got here in response to a query a few latest assertion made by Patrick Mouratoglou, who stated he would not put Sinner forward of Alcaraz.
“Jannik just isn’t above everybody, I do not suppose he’s above Carlos,” Mouratoglou, who coaches Naomi Osaka and was additionally Serena Williams‘ longtime coach, stated in a video posted to his Instagram web page. “When Carlos is at his finest, there’s a actual match, and I am unsure who’s going to win, and no person can say who will win.”
He continued, “All their matches have been extraordinarily shut, extraordinarily unsure, and Carlos gained some huge ones in opposition to him. I believe Jannik and Carlos are above everybody else. The distinction is, they’ve a distinct sort of recreation.”
Alcaraz rejected the suggestion that Sinner just isn’t the very best participant on the earth, saying, “I do not agree with what Mouratoglou stated.”
Alcaraz returns to motion in Rotterdam after his quarterfinal loss to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on the Australian Open ended his bid to develop into the youngest participant to seize all 4 main titles.
“I do not really feel that it was a missed alternative in opposition to Novak,” added Alcaraz, who gained the US Open in 2022. “I actually needed to win the match and felt I used to be in a position to, however Novak performed an unbelievable match. Dealing with Novak within the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam is the worst factor.
“It was a fairly good match. I’ve tried to take the nice issues about that match and can look forward now.”
Prime seed Alcaraz begins his Rotterdam marketing campaign in opposition to wild card Botic Van De Zandschulp, who beat him within the second spherical of the US Open in August.
Reuters contributed to this report.
