Carlos Alcaraz mentioned he has little question that top-ranked Jannik Sinner is the perfect participant on the planet as the 2 younger gamers proceed to put the foundations for an epic rivalry.
Alcaraz, the 21-year-old world No. 3, received the French Open and Wimbledon final 12 months, splitting the 4 Grand Slam tournaments with 23-year-old Sinner.
Alcaraz additionally improved his head-to-head document in opposition to Sinner to 6-4, beating him 3 times in as many conferences.
Sinner, in the meantime, received 73 of his 79 matches in 2024, together with the US Open and Australian Open, which he efficiently defended at Melbourne Park final month.
“Jannik is the perfect proper now,” Alcaraz instructed reporters Sunday in Rotterdam, Netherlands. “He has misplaced solely 4 or 5 matches up to now 12 months, so it is loopy. I do know individuals say who’s higher out of us. They are saying Jannik is healthier or some say me. It is all dialogue.
“However for me, I feel for a tennis participant, now we have to face Jannik and he is successful all the pieces. He is centered each time, so I feel he is the perfect. Each event he performs, he makes the ultimate or lifts the trophy.”
Alcaraz’s feedback got here in response to a query a few latest assertion made by Patrick Mouratoglou, who mentioned he would not put Sinner forward of Alcaraz.
“Jannik isn’t above everybody, I do not suppose he’s above Carlos,” Mouratoglou, who coaches Naomi Osaka and was additionally Serena Williams’ longtime coach, mentioned in a video posted to his Instagram web page. “When Carlos is at his greatest, there’s a actual match, and I am unsure who’s going to win, and no person can say who will win.”
He continued, “All their matches have been extraordinarily shut, extraordinarily unsure, and Carlos received some massive ones in opposition to him. I feel Jannik and Carlos are above everybody else. The distinction is, they’ve a special kind of sport.”
Alcaraz rejected the suggestion that Sinner isn’t the perfect participant on the planet, saying, “I do not agree with what Mouratoglou mentioned.”
Alcaraz returns to motion in Rotterdam after his quarterfinal loss to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on the Australian Open ended his bid to change into the youngest participant to seize all 4 main titles.
“I do not really feel that it was a missed alternative in opposition to Novak,” added Alcaraz, who received the US Open in 2022. “I actually wished to win the event and felt I used to be in a position to, however Novak performed an unbelievable match. Dealing with Novak within the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam is the worst factor.
“It was a fairly good match. I’ve tried to take the great issues about that match and can look forward now.”
Prime seed Alcaraz begins his Rotterdam marketing campaign in opposition to wild card Botic Van De Zandschulp, who beat him within the second spherical of the US Open in August.
Reuters contributed to this report.