Alexander Zverev has outlined why he thinks Jannik Sinner, not Carlos Alcaraz, deserves to be considered the best ATP player in the world.
Zverev finished 2024 as the world No. 2 ahead of Alcaraz. However, the German acknowledges that the Spaniard and Sinner are ahead of him because of the successes they had at the most significant tournaments in tennis.
Alcaraz took his Grand Slam tally to four in 2024 after winning the French Open and a second Wimbledon title. That included prevailing in a five-set battle against Zverev in the final at Roland-Garros.
The 21-year-old also retained his Indian Wells Open trophy. Despite a successful season, Alcaraz endured some tough moments, such as a brutal loss in the Olympic gold medal match to Novak Djokovic and a surprising defeat in the US Open second round to Botic van de Zandschulp.
However, Sloane Stephens and Frances Tiafoe were still left stunned after Alcaraz referred to 2024 as a challenging season during a press conference before playing against Tiafoe in an exhibition match in Charlotte.
Sinner finished 2024 as the year-end No. 1 after a breakthrough season. The Italian secured maiden Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open. He defeated Daniil Medvedev in a five-set epic to seal the title in Melbourne.
Other significant successes this year for Sinner include winning the ATP Finals in Turin, helping Italy to claim back-to-back Davis Cup titles, and obtaining three ATP Masters 1000 crowns at the Miami Open, Cincinnati Open, and Shanghai Masters.
Although Sinner was the most statistically successful player in 2024, he struggled against Alcaraz. His younger rival defeated him at the Indian Wells Open in five sets in the French Open semifinal and outlasted the Italian to win the China Open after a three-hour battle.
Sinner broke that streak by defeating Alcaraz in the final of the Six Kings Slam exhibition, but that contest did not count in their official ATP head-to-head record. Nonetheless, Sinner still received the largest paycheck in tennis history: $6,000,000.
Speaking to Tennis Magazin, Zverev chose Sinner as the best player in the world right now after what he achieved in 2024 and also revealed he has known the current world No. 1 since he was a teenager.
"I’ve known him [Sinner] since he was 16 or 17 years old.He trained with Riccardo Piatti near Monte Carlo. Whenever it rained, we went there because there was a hall there. So I’ve known him since he was a young boy at the academy."
"In terms of tennis, he absolutely deserves to be number one in the world. He has won two Grand Slam titles, three Masters titles and the ATP Finals. He is the best player in the world, he has won the most titles."
Despite choosing Sinner as the best player in the world, Zverev has a good relationship with Alcaraz and enjoys being on the court with him.
"Carlos is someone I really get on well with. We’ve had some special moments together, playing the biggest matches against each other on the court and spending a bit more time together off the court. That’s what has developed."
"Every time we play, and every time we’ve played this year, it’s been a very high level with a lot of entertainment to watch and it’s just fun to be on the court with him."