Sinner and Alcaraz split the Grand Slam titles this year, with the Italian winning both hard-court Majors and the 21-year-old completing the ‘Channel Slam’ – winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.
They have long been tipped to lead the pack when the Big Three era officially comes to an end and Alcaraz has even shared his wish to see their rivalry become as significant as the competition between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
He has been granted his wish but it could come at a cost, as Nadal’s uncle and former coach believes Sinner’s improved game and mentality could cause the world No. 3 all sorts of problems.
Reacting to Sinner’s US Open triumph, Toni told El Pais: “Today, he has become a player who is practically unstoppable for the vast majority of his opponents.
“He is capable of delivering each of his strokes with great speed and of making very few unforced errors. Overcoming him from the back of the court is almost impossible, and this is precisely, in my opinion, the mistake that Fritz made in the first two sets: making the wrong decision to play very fast rallies from the back of the court and trying to surprise him or hit a winner; but making the Italian miss was, as we could see, practically impossible.”
The Mallorcan tennis coach is still a huge fan of Alcaraz but he’s concerned Sinner could be a problem.
He added: “I must say that I still enjoy Alcaraz’ game more – I like him even more – but I must also admit and fear that the current leader’s notable improvement, especially on a mental level, will make things really difficult for him. The rivalry is definitely on.”
Nadal’s uncle also referenced Sinner’s doping saga. Ahead of the tournament, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that the world No. 1 was ruled to have “bore no fault or negligence” for two anti-doping violations.
“In the week before the start of the competition we were wondering how the incessant controversy generated by his possible double doping could affect him, after the final and his magnificent performance,” he remarked.
“The Italian has shown once again that he not only has one of the best games on the circuit but also has the temperament to face really complicated situations. Surely the fact that he has a clear conscience has helped him to cope.”
