Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have undoubtedly been the two best ATP players in 2024. However, Jim Courier is unsure whether they will remain as consistent in future seasons.
Despite the abilities of both men, Novak Djokovic dominated the sport in 2023. Only a narrow Wimbledon final loss to Alcaraz prevented him from winning the calendar Grand Slam last year. But the Serbian's dominance has eroded in the last 12 months.
Alcaraz found significant success quicker than Sinner, claiming the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. However, his Italian rival also established himself at the top in 2024.
Sinner guaranteed the year-end No. 1 ranking weeks ago after an exceptional season that has included Australian Open and US Open titles and three Masters 1000 crowns. He became the fastest man to guarantee the year-end No. 1 ranking since Djokovic in 2015.
Alcaraz secured the other two Grand Slams in 2024 at the French Open and Wimbledon. The former world No. 1 became just the sixth man in tennis history to win those two Grand Slams in the same season.
Although Alexander Zverev will finish 2024 ahead of Alcaraz at No. 2 in the rankings, the German himself admitted Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead of him because they had won all the season's Grand Slams.
Sinner and Alcaraz's exceptional levels are demonstrated by their matches against each other. This year, for example, there was a lengthy and brutal China Open final battle that lasted over three hours. Alcaraz eventually outlasted his rival in that match.
Despite Sinner being 23 and Alcaraz 21, debates have already started about which player is better. Irish Davis Cup captain and author of the acclaimed book, 'The Racket,' Conor Niland thinks the Spaniard is slightly more talented than Sinner.
Four-time Grand Slam champion and former U.S. captain Jim Courier admires both players but told the Tennis Channel that it might be harder for them to be consistent if there are just the two of them at the top instead of three of four players.
"But, I don't know that we will see quite the same consistency out of that duo. We might, we certainly did this year at the Majors, but if there is three of them, or even four of them that can really pop up there consistently, it becomes much tougher but if it's just two, you might get an injury, you might get an upset, you might get an opportunity."
Courier makes a fair point. The era of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray being at the top meant consistent dominance was easier to achieve because there were four players. In 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner have been dominant on their own.
The American also mentioned how hard it has undoubtedly been for players like Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who watched the previous generation dominate but are now also behind Sinner and Alcaraz.
"There is no doubt that there is a group of players like Medvedev and like Tsitsipas, and Rublev, and those guys are 27, 28 years old. We were hoping that this was going to be their time, when the floodgates would open for them."
"And then all of a sudden, you've got Sinner and Alcaraz put up a dam and say, 'Hold on one second, we're not going to let you in just yet."