6-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker and renowned coach Toni Nadal have weighed in on the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and addressed which among the Italian and Spaniard is better.
Nadal argued Alcaraz is better than Sinner but Becker feels it is too early to assess who will be the most decorated among the two.
Alcaraz and Sinner are the two leading stars on the ATP tour and they have themselves from other young rivals.
The duo are the only men born in 2000s to win a major title with Daniil Medvedev the next youngest man to win a slam at the age of 28.
Sinner earned his maiden major crown at the 2024 Australian Open in January and became the ATP #1 for the first time after another deep run at Roland Garros. The Italian has lost only recorded three defeats this year and has not bowed out of any event before the semis since last year’s October.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz clinched his third major title at this year’s French Open to become the youngest man to win a major on three different surfaces. The 21-year-old also became the youngest World No. 1 in the ATP history.
Talking at an event ahead of the ATP 250 event in Mallorca, tennis legend Becker shared his thoughts on the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry.
“It is impossible to say which of the two players will dominate tennis in the years to come (translated from Spanish),” said the German former World No. 1.
“From a young age, at 22 and 21, they both had pressure. If we compare them with Roger Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and Novak Djokovic, [they have] to play for another 15 years.
“Maybe then we can know who is better in five years as they evolve and new players and rivals emerge.”
Veteran Spaniard coach Toni Nadal, who is the tournament director at the Mallorca Championships, favored his Spanish compatriot.
“Alcaraz is better, he does more things on the court than Sinner. I see Alcaraz with more options to do more things,” Nadal said.
“Sinner has a lot of control, although Alcaraz is a little better mentally. Both are equally strong on all surfaces as the game has really become more consistent.”