Patrick Mouratoglou has made it clear that, despite Jannik Sinner’s dominant form, he does not consider the Italian to be the best player in the world, particularly when compared to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. While Sinner has made significant strides at the top of the ATP rankings, Mouratoglou believes the competition for the top spot remains open, and Alcaraz holds distinct advantages over his rival.
At present, Sinner boasts a commanding 3,695-point lead over second-ranked Alexander Zverev, with Alcaraz trailing by an even more significant margin of 4,820 points. Although Sinner has claimed the No. 1 spot, Alcaraz’s four Grand Slam titles—compared to Sinner’s three—showcase the Spaniard’s continued dominance at the highest level. The two players have won the last five majors between them, with Sinner defending his Australian Open title this year in impressive fashion. He dropped only two sets on his way to the title, including a straight-sets victory over Zverev in the final.
On the other hand, Alcaraz had a mixed showing, winning Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024, but his campaign at the Australian Open was cut short by a quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic. Despite these differing results, Alcaraz holds a 6-4 head-to-head advantage over Sinner, including victories in all of their encounters last season.
In a recent Instagram post, Mouratoglou took the opportunity to explain his stance. While acknowledging Sinner’s recent dominance, he pointed out the complexity of comparing the two players. “Everyone sees Jannik Sinner as the best player in the world right now, but I don’t agree. He’s been dominant, but there are several reasons why I wouldn’t put him above Carlos Alcaraz,” he said.
The French coach, who has worked with the likes of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, elaborated further in a video accompanying the post. Mouratoglou emphasized that Alcaraz’s potential at his best is difficult to match. “When Carlos is at his best, there is a real match between them, and I’m not sure who’s going to win. Nobody can say who’s going to win,” he noted.
Mouratoglou also highlighted the closely contested nature of their previous matchups, pointing out that both players have proven themselves in high-stakes moments. “All their matches have been extremely close, extremely uncertain, and Carlos has won some big ones against him,” he added. According to Mouratoglou, both Alcaraz and Sinner belong to an elite tier, above all other players.
In comparing their playing styles, Mouratoglou pointed to distinct differences in their games. “Carlos is making many more unforced errors than Sinner. He plays with much more risk,” he observed. Meanwhile, Sinner’s greatest strength lies in his consistency, maintaining an incredibly high pace throughout matches without making frequent errors. “Jannik’s asset is that he plays at a crazy high pace, without missing,” Mouratoglou explained.
Alcaraz, however, brings a different dynamic to the court. “Carlos has this incredible power in the racket, and also the ability to change rhythm,” said Mouratoglou. He described Alcaraz’s game as one where he can gradually build momentum before suddenly unleashing a burst of power, catching opponents off guard. On the other hand, Sinner’s consistent pace is formidable, but it’s a more predictable rhythm that opponents must contend with.
Mouratoglou acknowledged that Alcaraz’s tendency to make unforced errors might give the impression that he is less dominant in certain matches, but he stressed that the Spaniard has so much margin for error that it doesn’t detract from his overall superiority. “He has so much margin, that’s crazy,” Mouratoglou said. Ultimately, when these two players face off, the outcome is far from certain. “When he faces Jannik, nobody can say who’s going to win,” Mouratoglou concluded.
Finally, the coach pointed to the players’ achievements as further evidence of the ongoing rivalry. “Both won two Grand Slams last year, and Carlos, for the moment, has won more Grand Slams than Jannik and is actually younger,” he said. With these factors in mind, Mouratoglou firmly stated that it’s premature to claim that Sinner is “way above” Alcaraz. The race for the top spot, he believes, remains neck-and-neck, with both players having their own distinct strengths and paths to success.