Carlos Alcaraz says Jannik Sinner’s red-hot form gives Italian the edge in best player debate
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Italy's Jannik Sinner (left) and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz are the current young stars of men's tennis and are expected to continue to dominate the game.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ROTTERDAM – Carlos Alcaraz said he has no doubt that top-ranked Jannik Sinner is the best player in the world on current form, as the two young players continue to lay the foundations for an epic rivalry.
Alcaraz, the 21-year-old world No. 3, won the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2024, splitting the four Grand Slam tournaments with 23-year-old Sinner.
The Spaniard also improved his head-to-head record with the Italian to 6-4, beating Sinner three times in three straight meetings.
Sinner, meanwhile, won 73 of his 79 matches in 2024 including the US Open and the Australian Open, which he successfully defended at Melbourne Park in January.
“Jannik is the best right now,” Alcaraz said in Rotterdam on Feb 2.
“He has lost only four or five matches in the past year, so it’s crazy. I know people say who’s better out of us. They say Jannik is better or some say me. It’s all discussion.
“But for me, I think for a tennis player, we have to face Jannik and he’s winning everything. He’s focused every time, so I think he’s the best. Every tournament he plays, he makes the final or lifts the trophy.”
Alcaraz returns to action in Rotterdam, after his quarter-final loss to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open ended his bid to become the youngest player to capture all four Slam titles.
“I don’t feel that it was a missed opportunity against Novak,” added Alcaraz, who won the US Open in 2022.
“I really wanted to win the tournament, but Novak played an unbelievable match. Facing Novak in the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam is the worst thing. I’ve tried to take the good things about that match and will look ahead now.”
Top seed Alcaraz begins his Rotterdam campaign against Dutch wild card Botic van de Zandschulp.
In other news, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will return to action later in February after a 15-month maternity break, with the Czech set to play in three tournaments in the United States.
The 34-year-old had announced in January 2024 that she was expecting her first child with husband and coach Jiri Vanek and gave birth to their son Petr in July, during the Wimbledon fortnight.
She will play in the Feb 24-March 2 WTA 250 tournament in Austin, Texas before ramping up her return at WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
“I really miss tennis and miss competing, so I’m really looking forward to being back,” Kvitova, who won the All England Club title in 2011 and 2014, said in a video on Instagram.
The former world No. 2 last played in October 2023 and won titles in Miami and Berlin that year. REUTERS, AFP
