Carlos Alcaraz Dismisses Claims That He's Better Than World No. 1 Jannik Sinner
News
Carlos Alcaraz disagrees with a recent analysis from Naomi Osaka's former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who thinks Jannik Sinner is not better than him. The Spaniard insists his rival is superior right now.
Mouratoglou believes Sinner cannot be considered better than Alcaraz because the 21-year-old has won four Grand Slams to the Italian's three and defeated him in significant matches, such as at the US Open and French Open.
Osaka's coach argues that neither man can definitively be called better than the other because he does not know which of them will win when they face each other. Mouratoglou places them on the same level.
Another argument that can be made against Sinner being the best player in the world is all his Grand Slams coming on hard courts. By contrast, Alcaraz has won at least one major title on hard, clay, and grass.
However, speaking before the 2025 Rotterdam Open, Alcaraz said he thinks Sinner is the strongest because of what he has done since the start of 2024. All of the 23-year-old's Grand Slams have been in that period.
"Jannik has proven to be the best at the moment, it's crazy what he's doing. I understand that people argue about who is the best between us two, but for me and for the tennis players who play against him, Jannik is definitely the strongest."
Alcaraz directly mentioned Mouratoglou when outlining why he thinks Sinner is the best. The two-time Wimbledon champion also thinks Sinner's consistency makes him stand above everyone else on the ATP Tour.
"I don't agree with what Mouratoglou said. Jannik will have lost four-five matches in a year, he has no ups and downs. In every tournament he participates in he either reaches the final or lifts the trophy."
Despite Alcaraz's kind words, the Spaniard is the only man to consistently get the better of Sinner since his breakthrough. He has triumphed in their last three ATP matches, including outlasting him in a grueling China Open final.
Alcaraz also won the French Open and Wimbledon during Sinner's rise, but he is correct that his consistency has not been at Sinner's level. The Italian's results have undoubtedly been the best in the world since the start of 2024.
Last year's French Open winner was also asked about Sinner's decision to withdraw from the Rotterdam Open after winning his third Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open. Alcaraz understands the move and knows from experience that recovering from winning Grand Slam wins is challenging.
"I understand, I know how difficult it is to stay healthy after a Slam where you go all the way. I guess he didn't feel ready to play another tournament so soon, which was smart."
While opinions differ about who is the best between Sinner and Alcaraz overall, the former has undoubtedly established himself as the best hard-court player in the world by winning the last three Grand Slams and the 2024 ATP Finals on the surface.
Claiming the French Open and Wimbledon titles and toppling Alcaraz at one of those events might definitively prove that he is the best player in the world.
