Former ATP player Ivan Ljubicic sees Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ahead of everybody else if Novak Djokovic keeps struggling.
Former world number 3 Ljubicic spoke about the current state of tennis to Gazzetta Dello Sport, putting together some really interesting thoughts. It's been an exciting 2024 season so far, albeit one that went quite differently than many expected.
Nobody saw Djokovic missing out on the Australian Open trophy. Many saw Jannik Sinner progressing further, but very few saw him actually break out this way. Ljubicic was certainly impressed with the way Sinner responded after the loss in the ATP Finals.
"It was just a matter of resetting and starting again, and he had already shown that he knew how to do it: after losing the Masters final in Turin in November, he won 19 matches in a row and the first Slam of his career."
"The history of Jannik’s journey in recent years teaches us that he will have already analysed all the details that didn’t work to be ready with countermeasures next time: he learns from defeats, he doesn’t get depressed because he lost."
Still, Sinner was proved mortal by Alcaraz, who was able to snap his winning streak at the Indian Wells Open. He's another player that impresses Ljubicic a lot because he has two Grand Slams at the age of 20, which isn't the norm.
"On the other side of the net, there is always an opponent, let’s not forget that. And in the case of Alcaraz, he is an opponent who has already won two Slams at the age of 20 therefore with enormous qualities. On the other hand, there are very few players who can put Sinner in difficulty, and it is not certain that the Spaniard’s winning Indian Wells tactics will bear the same fruits in the future."
For him, the current landscape is dominated by three players. Nobody knows what will happen with Djokovic, but for him, as for many, if he's not on top, then Alcaraz and Sinner are the players that will take over.
"I believe that at this moment, waiting to understand how Djokovic is, Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead of all the others and will remain there in the coming years too. They will be the points of reference."
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