Jannik Sinner 'Has Mental Advantage' Because Other Players 'Are Scared Of Him'
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Naomi Osaka's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has outlined how Jannik Sinner's game instills fear into opponents and makes many of them feel beaten before matches start.
Mouratoglou recently said he does not believe Jannik Sinner is better than Carlos Alcaraz because the Spaniard has won four Grand Slams compared to his three. He has also beaten him in significant matches.
Alcaraz responded directly to Mouratoglou in a press conference. He disagreed with his view and argued that Sinner's incredible consistency over the last year makes him the best in the world.
However, Mouratoglou's view about Sinner not being the definitive best player in the world is not meant to disrespect the Italian's abilities. That is shown by him saying others are scared to face him.
In the latest episode of "The Eye of the Coach" for Tennis Majors, Mouratoglou described how Sinner has no problem with various playing styles, which can cause opponents to feel hopeless.
"Jannik has a mental advantage towards the other players. They're scared of him. They know if they play him, they're going to look bad. He really has the modern game. There's not one thing where you think, 'if I do that extremely well, he will be in trouble.'"
"No, because you play fast, you play slow, he has no problem. You play high, you play low, he has no problem. You play on the forehand, on the backhand, any type of ball, he has the answer. He's way above the other players in terms of level. The only option is to beat him by playing better tennis than him."
Mouratoglou also praised Sinner's willingness to step up and play aggressively in significant moments, something the ATP world No. 1 did successfully in his 2025 Australian Open final victory against Alexander Zverev.
By contrast, the French coach said that Zverev does not do that as naturally and has to force himself to be aggressive instead of playing passively on big points. That proved crucial in the Australian Open final.
"I don't think that Sascha (Zverev) loses this Grand Slam final because he doesn't believe enough, I think he does believe. But when it comes to the big moments, he lacks being bold, being aggressive, taking the risk, taking the match, really taking it. He pushes himself to do it, but isn't natural yet. I think he needs more time."
"In that match against Jannik, in most of the big moments, he decided to play and not miss. Jannik is not going to miss either, but Jannik is going to play faster. Every occasion, you're going to play shorter, he's going to destroy you. So, this is not how he is going to win against these guys."
Sinner was undoubtedly the more clinical player in the Australian Open final against Zverev. His perfect 3-0 record in Grand Slam finals proves his ability to be unfazed on the most significant stages and play at a high level.
By contrast, Zverev is now 0-3 in major finals. He was one set away from winning in the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open finals, but the brutal reality is that the German did not get over the line.
