Carlos Alcaraz Rubbishes Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach’s Claims in an Honest Admiration to Rival Jannik Sinner

ATP number three, Carlos Alcaraz, isn’t someone to downplay greatness. When Serena Williams‘ former coach placed him before Jannik Sinner, he had a response, one that spoke volumes about rivalry and respect. Admiring the Italian’s unfazed consistency, Alcaraz dropped his opinion. But what did he say?

Alcaraz dismissed Patrick Mouratoglou’s claim about Jannik Sinner. Sinner clinched his career’s third Grand Slam in Melbourne this season, overpowering ATP number two Alexander Zverev. With this victory, Sinner became the fourth player since 1990 beginning, who did not face one single break point in a men’s singles major final. The Italian player is also the fifth ATP star in the Open Era to win three consecutive singles titles at hard-court Slams while being the youngest player to win back-to-back Australian Open titles after Jim Courier. Despite such brilliance and career milestones, Sinner couldn’t top the French coach’s priority list. Keeping Alcaraz ahead of Sinner for performance, Mouratoglou said, “Jannik is not above everyone; I don’t think he’s above Carlos. I think when Carlos is at his best there is a real match, and I’m not sure who is going to win. Carlos won some big ones against him. So I wouldn’t say that [Sinner] is above [Alcaraz].” 

Despite compliments from the esteemed coach, Alcaraz dismissed Mouratoglou’s claim. Reflecting on the fraternity’s take on their rivalry, this Spaniard athlete said, “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. I don’t agree with what Mouratoglou said. Jannik will have lost 4/5 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.” Alcaraz’s statement might highlight his admiration towards his career’s biggest rival at the moment, but his point has a strong basis.

Sinner clinched the ATP World Tour Finals title, Shanghai Masters title, Cincinnati Masters title, Halle Open title, Miami Open, and ATP Rotterdam title last season besides two Grand Slam trophies. Where he couldn’t win a title, he became either a finalist, a semifinalist, or at least a quarterfinalist (Indian Wells Masters, Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships, Canadian Open, China Open) proving his sheer brilliance in the sport.

Jannik Sinner is not just working hard but also strategizing his steps to ensure his best performances at the tournaments. For this, he withdrew from the ATP Rotterdam, one championship that he won last year. Sinner’s decision was backed by his rival, Alcaraz. Calling it “smart,” he said, “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.”

While Alcaraz’s support for Jannik Sinner reveals the beauty of this sport, the Italian ATP star’s words for the former also showcase that the admiration is quite mutual. Reflecting on how Alcaraz’s intense clash inspired him to work harder, Sinner complimented his Spanish rival beautifully.

Jannik Sinner said Alcaraz “pushes” him “ to do better”

Speaking of Alcaraz’s talent, Jannik Sinner earlier said, “I wake up in the morning trying to understand how to beat Alcaraz. I feel like—at least talking from my side—he pushes me to do better. I wake up in the morning trying to understand what I can do better trying to beat him next time, which is something nice for me as a player.” Along with his statement, Sinner also claimed that he is good friends with Alcaraz off the court. The ATP number one star then referred to their on-court personalities as ice and fire with a great compliment to the Spaniard. “It also shows that everyone is different. I believe that I have to take something from him as a player, trying some different shots sometimes, which I feel like makes me grow as a player,” Sinner said.

The Italian star and his Spanish rival brought memories of Federer and Nadal’s clash to the fraternity. Their off-court equation also tells the same to their followers. However, Mats Wilander had a bigger praise for them. This veteran believed the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry was even better than Tennis Big Three, which was a great compliment.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz impressed the fraternity with sheer brilliance, aggressive on-court shots, and equally humble personalities. As they move forward with poise and politeness for each other, they fuel the fraternity’s hope for more deadly clashes in the future. Are you ready for that?